


Permanent

by GingerConroy



Category: Sam Orion
Genre: F/M, Tom Hardy (Actor) Character Combinations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 04:29:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 34,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29254476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GingerConroy/pseuds/GingerConroy
Relationships: April Tillman, Sam Orion - Relationship
Comments: 53
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

[](https://ibb.co/fS2yw1k)

This is a popular fanfic about Sam Orion and April Tillman. He's a hard-knocks Atlanta tattooist with an interesting life story. She's a somewhat sheltered South Carolina girl who is studying to be an attorney. When they meet it takes them off their tracks and changes their lives.

I've written this story many times. Lots of variations. But I always want to improve it. I hope you'll stick around and give it a try. Sammy and April's characters mean a lot to me and I hope you enjoy their story.

The Tom Hardy connection is I am using his physical description for Sam. That is where the connection ends. Hardy is just a muse, looks-wise. There are no other connections or similarities.


	2. Chapter 2

April Tillman sat in her office trying to concentrate on her practice test. She looked at question number 42 and the answers all looked the same. Her pointer hovered over A, B, C and then D and she was beginning to second guess at least ten prior answers.

“I am never going to become an attorney here,” she said to herself, sighing and remembering the South Carolina exam being more passable.

It was 10 am at the Law Offices of Sayre & Perkins and she was rightfully losing focus. She was half taking the test and half listening to Mallory Sayre and her firm partner Robert Perkins talk about a recent case, one that involved a certain Atlanta tattoo shop owner.

She shook her head and tried to regain focus. If April wished to be ready for the Georgia State Bar exam she needed to finish the timed practice test with a certain score in a specific amount of time. That day seemed to be everything but her day to practice and tattooist Sam Orion was more interesting than the rules for admissible evidence.

“I told you, Robert, Orion’s the king of white trash. It’s going to be an easy case,” she heard Mallory say. April sat still trying to hear every word in the office next to hers.

“Sure, Mal. He’s only worth several million dollars and your client is a former stripper-turned D movie actress who doesn’t present well,” Robert responded.

“At least she has no record. He was in the pen for four years. Armed robbery.”

“And your client has no record? Might as well, living with a former drug dealer.”

“Toney King’s past isn’t Angel’s past, Robert. Besides. Not admissible.”

April was just covering admissible evidence in a test question and the irony of it made her look back at the test. She considered stopping and returning to it later. It was just the practice test and she was not sitting for the Bar for another month. She figured if she passed it in South Carolina, she could certainly pass it in Georgia.

“Right,” she said to herself and saved where she was on the test. She listened to Mallory and Robert talk some more.

She was intrigued by this Sam Orion character. It was a case Mallory and April’s paralegal friend Jessica were working on. That morning before Mallory and Robert arrived Jessica had sat in April’s tiny office talking about men, dating, and how she was assisting Mallory on a child custody and support case for a “super sexy” tattoo shop owner named Sam Orion.

“You have to see this guy, April. He’s the stuff of fantasy,” Jessica laughed.

April nodded, but did not immediately want to know more. She was not into tattoos and figured this Sam person was probably a lot like Jessica’s husband, a man who part time worked in construction, part time drank, and left a lot to be desired.

Coming from Charleston, South Carolina, April was raised in a close-knit, very unexciting family. Tattoos, fast cars, drinking, those were all things she was never into. Jessica, whom she found a kinship with, was a fan of all those things. Her husband, Eric, had a sleeve tattoo and loved racing cars, drinking, and taking Jessica on hunting trips. None of this appealed to April.

She did, however, love talking to Jessica and they had a few similarities and enjoyed each other’s company. April, although beautiful, was not as good at dating as Jessica had once been. April needed tips on where to find a good date in Atlanta. Jessica had tried to set April up with a neighbor but that fell flat. The two women had a good laugh over it, but April was lonely. She was thinking of going online soon if no one in the office knew of any decent men.

It was several hours later when Mallory and Robert discussed the case through paper thin walls that April started to become interested in the topic. Even Mallory found this man attractive, which was a shock to April. Mallory was a stuffy snobby attorney who dispatched of men with a quickness. Sam’s descriptors of “piercing eyes”, “red beard”, and “he’s got a body on him” made April’s ears perk up. This was not Jessica speaking now, this was hard-to-impress attorney Mallory Sayre.

April had not been able to look Sam up on the internet due to the practice test locking out other screens. Her determination to finish the practice test fell by the wayside once she set it upon herself to research him. So with focus gone and interest in Sam piqued, she decided test prep could wait. She hit a button entitled stop-save on the test but it would have to be revisited shortly.

Pulling up her favorite search engine, April typed in SAM ORION and was quickly met with a website for Orion Tattoo and Piercing. She clicked the site which immediately brought up a black screen with the silhouette of a white chandelier. The name Orion was in the middle of the chandelier and she clicked on the name. A streamlined and very professional website opened up showing black and white landscape-size photographs of incredible tattoos, which slowly turned into colorized versions.

“Nice presentation,” she said to herself, admiring the website. In the middle of the photographs showed a menu. Our Story, The Artists, Gallery, Booking An Appointment, and Media were the selections. April wondered if Our Story would be the best to click on first or Artists. She _had_ to see what Sam looked like.

“Hey,” a voice said, making April jump. She looked up and saw Mallory standing in the doorway of her office, “How is the practice exam going? Difficult? You seem antsy," the attorney continued.

April froze after being startled. She was supposed to be working on the practice test. Although Mallory could not see what she was working on, she quickly minimized her screen and locked her computer.

“Actually, I need a break. Getting fatigued,” April laughed and stood, smoothing out the skirt on her black suit.

“Already? You just started it,” Mallory commented, as April came up to the doorway.

“Yeah, I didn’t sleep well last night. I need to not do that again,” April tried to explain. She then thought to herself that was probably not a good thing to admit.

“Well, hopefully you can finish by the end of the week or I have to put you on a case,” Mallory said. April did not want that; to prolong getting her Georgia law membership could mean she would be delegated with grunt work, or at worst, fired.

April nodded and went out into the hall. She headed towards the bathroom to avoid talking to Mallory any further about her progress on the test. As she passed Jessica’s office she heard her on the phone with a client who was likely chewing her out.

“Yes, Angel. Yes, ma’am. No, I mean, I am sorry. Sorry. Yes, I understand. Yes, we will get it done. We promise. He will have to comply," Jessica was saying to the client.

She came to the conclusion Jessica was talking to the woman who shared custody of a child with Sam Orion. Angel Collier had been another name Mallory had thrown around. Gracie was their child. The bad blood between Sam and Angel sounded like it was about to boil over with the case. From what little she heard, Sayre represented Angel Collier so the latter could get more money out of Sam Orion and keep him from seeing Gracie as much. It would be the ultimate screw over if the firm beat Mr. Orion. He would be left paying Angel more money and seeing his daughter only once a month. It was downright dirty and incredibly evil.

Jessica hung up the phone and April could hear her curse. “I can’t believe we have to see that woman tomorrow!” Jessica exclaimed.

  


It was noon when Mallory sent April out to get their lunch. There were other employees that could have done that but April had the least seniority. She often thought that this was just a way for Mallory to test her. When she had confided in Jessica about it, expecting her friend to calm her concerns, that had not happened.

"Make no doubt about it, she wants to push you around. You've only been here a month. It will be a few more months of this," Jessica admitted one day when they were alone.

April had realized quickly that Mallory was going to put her through a lot of senseless mundane things if she was going to take her on as an associate. It had not been like that in South Carolina, where the attorneys were more familiar to her and she felt more respected. 

"Not only that," Jessica said, "But you're really really pretty."

April had shook her head, smiling. "I mean, it's going to get you nowhere, fast," Jessica had continued, teasing her.

"Alright!" April had laughed at the time, realizing Jessica was probably right.

April was used to being told she was pretty. Good women friends did it with appreciation and only a small amount of jealousy. Women who didn't like her would say it and then try to cut her down behind her back. And the men were worse. The nice ones wanted to marry her young and did not like that she was interested in a career. Men she once knew as boys at her private school were now friends with her on social media and always asked her to parties. She had gone to a few but had learned her brain was of no interest to them. April was just future wife and baby-making material and that life was of no interest to her at 26.

April had graduated from her University with one degree at 22 and had decided to go back again and finally begin the process of studying to become an attorney. Her father had been one and it was a natural step for a Tillman. Her sister Rebecca, or Becky as they always called her, had only a four year degree and no desire to work. She wanted to be the wife who didn't lift a finger and was lavished upon. Rebecca was two years older than April and had married well, becoming a part of the wealthy Armstead family. 

She and Becky were like day and night. April was sweet and fun-loving and the favorite of her father's, while Becky was much like Mallory Sayre but would never desire to work at anything like Mallory. Becky was blonde like their mother, while April's hair was a chocolate brown. Becky had blue eyes, April had dark brown.

Before she moved to Atlanta, April had broken up months prior with her boyfriend Jared. It had been a long time coming and April was glad to have a fresh start in a new city. She had not looked back and when she had heard from Becky that Jared had moved on to someone else, April had strangely had no upset feelings about it. It had been time to move on, even if it meant she would be alone for a little bit.

While she was sitting in her car waiting on everyone's lunch order, she had checked a few personal emails and messages on her phone. Nothing of note other than a few messages from friends back in Charleston and one from a new friend who lived in a condo next door to her. She had then remembered that Mallory had interrupted her when she had been trying to look at this Sam Orion character.

"Oh yeah," she said and brought up her browser on her tablet that had been in her purse. 

Going back to Orion Tattoo and Piercing's web page, she meant to click on The Artists but her finger slipped and up came Gallery right next to it. Then up came three slides to choose from that would lead you to Recent Shows, Our Work, and Art Work. She picked Recent Shows and then up came the gallery choices for NYC, L.A., NOLA, Miami, Dallas, and Seattle. 

"I like New Orleans so why not," she said to herself and chose that.

About twenty photos were in that category and one man was featured in most of them.

April was hopeful that the image of the man she was now faced with was Sam. She had no idea if it was him, but it had to be as he was absolutely and devastatingly handsome.

"Oh wow -" she said and then her phone started buzzing, "Ugh!" she complained and realized the restaurant was notifying her that the lunches were ready. She couldn't sit around looking at Sam for another minute. Mallory would be upset if her soup had been cold. April put her tablet down and grabbed her purse. This would have to wait until she possibly got home after work.

  
  
The hours and the practice test dragged out at work. April had finally passed but it was not with a grade she was beaming about. She realized certain subjects were more closely covered in Georgia than they had been in South Carolina. She would need to brush up on specific laws if she wanted to impress Mallory and ace the Bar exam.

As she was gathering her things to head back to her condo for the day, Jessica had stopped in her doorway, "Dragon lady comes in tomorrow...and I don't mean Mallory's mom," she joked. Mallory had been long gone since an hour after lunch and the coast was clear to make light of Mallory's high-maintenance mother.

"Who? Angel Collier?" April had correctly guessed.

"Yep. The biggest bitch I think I've ever dealt with since my rival in junior high," Jessica continued as she turned and April followed her down the hall.

April laughed, "That bad?"

"Yeah, you heard me earlier, didn't you? Basically she wants to drain her ex for every cent and every drop of blood he has," Jessica replied, "I mean from what I've read of him he seems an alright guy, just not perfect. But much nicer than that raging beeotch."

April laughed some more and did not know if she was looking forward to seeing Angel. She could only imagine a battle axe coming through their office tomorrow.

Once they got outside and neared their cars, Jessica asked, "So. Have you looked him up yet? What did I tell you? Really hot."

April knew exactly who Jessica meant nodded, "I will when I get home."

"Yeah, best to do that in the privacy of your own place, girl," Jessica joked and got to her car. April was already shaking her head at her friend's silliness."

"Good night, Jessica...see you bright and early tomorrow," April smiled and got into her own vehicle.  
  


***  
The traffic had been hellish but the skyline as the sun dipped low in downtown Atlanta looked like an orange-magenta-purple fire. It was beautiful and it reflected in the glass on the buildings. April had an hour and twenty minute drive home if she timed it right and that was the only bad part about Atlanta. The sky was gorgeous.

When she finally did reach her condo's front door her friend Anita had been leaving her own place, ready for the 3rd shift at the OR at Atlanta Hospital, "Have a good evening, 'Nita," April had said.

Anita had smiled, "It will be if we have less overdoses tonight, but I am not holding my breath."

"Ooh, yeah," April responded, glad her career path, while hard, was not tending to patients.

When she got inside she threw everything on the couch in her living room and raced to get back to her tablet and finally investigate Sam Orion.

She quickly went to Orion Tattoo and Piercing's>The Artists. The names were:

SAM ORION  
EVAN  
LESLIE  
KYLE  
ROBBY

When she clicked on Sam Orion her suspicions about him being the man she had seen earlier were confirmed, as up came a black and white photo of a man with a beard, his head slightly down but his piercing eyes looking up and into the camera, his muscular tattooed arms folded against a chest that looked like it was no stranger to exercise. 

"Wow," April mouthed and realized his eyes were the kind that appeared like they were looking straight at her, seeing her sitting on her couch salivating over him. The very faintest of detectible smirks was on his lips and there was a slight curl to both sides of the mustache part of his beard.

Sam was not too muscular, but his arms looked like he was strongly-built and formidable.

He was wearing a black v-neck shirt, the v not coming down too low but she could tell he had words and black flames coming up his chest and onto his neck. He was no doubt covered in tattoos and it strangely turned April on, despite that not being her sort of thing.

His Bio was below the stunning photograph, but it said little about him personally outside of his accomplishments as a tattooist. She skimmed that quickly. Born in Cleveland, worked under someone named Lex in Manhattan.

April made her way from his profile and went to the other people who worked for Sam. Evan looked like a really nice guy, he was maybe obese or just chunky, and he had a lot less in the line of tattoos on him. Leslie looked like a typical pinup with black short-cropped bangs, a ponytail, and thick lips. She was so beautiful that April wondered immediately if she and Sam were ever together. Kyle was cute, much younger-looking than Sam and had hair to his shoulders. He had a few traces of dreads in his California surfer dirty blonde hair and he looked like he was trouble with his huge mischievous smile. Robby was also a good-looking guy, with a darker complexion and slight facial hair only to his chin. Still, there was another person in the Artists section but she was listed as "Shana - Reception". Shana had choppy shag hair and gages in her ears. She was the youngest-looking employee yet and if April didn't know any better, likely under the age of 20.

The Gallery nearly made April get up and take a cold shower. There were dozens of photos of the studio gang, as they seemed to call themselves, tattooing people and in one section that was only devoted to Sam and his PR, there were various magazine covers, many with him shirtless. 

"Holy cow," April said, admiring how powerful a body Sam had. His body type had been a secret turn on for her. It wasn't the tattoos - it was the musculature of his chest, arms, abdomen and shoulders. He wasn't too much and he wasn't too little. He was just right. He was also the kind of guy she had never been lucky enough to have had her hands on.

She zoomed in on one magnificent color photo; the word FUCK was on one hand and the other hand said LOVE.

"Fuck Love?" she said to herself and was pretty sure what it meant immediately. Despite April never having a tattoo and ever wanting to commit into ink that sentiment, she knew all too well how he felt.

He had been hurt.

April looked at it for a moment and also admired his eyes, which were a very clear green with a few gold flecks. He had a roughness to his face that told him he was probably a bit older than her but hopefully not by too much. His eyes had seen things, she imagined, as he looked almost knowing and full of life experiences.

She sighed with appreciation and realized he was only a slight ginger, as in some photos his hair looked brown, but also golden, and a little bit of copper to everything. All of this made him even more fascinating to her in some ways as he was not only very striking but unique.

She texted Jessica:

I LOOKED HIM UP. SAM'S QUITE THE STUNNER.

Jessica immediately responded:

DOES HE MAKE YOU FEEL SOME KIND OF WAY?

April shook her head, answering:

HE MAKES ME REALIZE I NEED A DATE!


	3. Chapter 3

"I am still so fucking hung over, man," Kyle said to Evan as the two of them headed in through the back door of Orion Tattoo and Piercing. It was early, 7 am in the morning and they had the studio's coffee orders. Sam's truck was not yet there and they would be the first in the building.

"That's what you get for drinking on a work night. Should've waited 'til tonight," Evan said, amused that Kyle actually thought he would be able to hide his condition from their boss, Sam. It was now Friday and a group of them had planned on meeting friends later that evening at a local bar they all liked.

"Can't be helped," Kyle said nonchalantly with a braggart tone, "Oh, by the way, don't tell Sammy shit..." Kyle added.

A voice called out from the office they had to pass on their way down the hall that led from the back door to the main part of the studio.

"Don't tell Sammy shit what?" they heard Sam call out.

Kyle's face turned white when they realized Sam had somehow arrived undetected.

"That he's hung over," Evan announced as they came to the doorway and saw Sam. Evan turned and looked at Kyle, who's eyes were wide at him, almost begging him to shut up, "What? I'm not gonna lie to Sammy," Evan told his coworker.

Sam had been in his office getting a notepad from his desk. He had not yet said anything to Kyle, nor looked directly at him. He was busy looking around now for a pen. Sam was likely about to draw an idea down for his first client who would be in at 9 am. It was something he did all the time - he could sketch something and it would look funny but once needle hit skin it was a masterpiece.

"S-Sammy...Uh..." Kyle stammered, "I was just bullshitting...you know, Evan likes my uh...stories and adventures."

Evan looked at Kyle shaking his head, "Nice, Kyle."

Sam was looking around and then sat back against his desk. Kyle was dying inside. Sam still had not looked up at him and was drawing something now on the pad with the pen he just located. He scribbled something quickly and a smile was growing on Evan's face. This was going to be good.

When Sam was finished he turned the pad around, "GO. THE. FUCK. HOME." with a little likeness of Kyle and a boot coming at Kyle's butt.

"Sammy!" Kyle exclaimed, "I can't...this girl has been booked for more than a month." Both Sam and Evan knew this girl was also someone Kyle was interested in eventually sleeping with.

Sam looked up at him, his green eyes narrowing at Kyle, which in turn made Kyle want to crap his pants, "Go home. Shan will reschedule her," he finally said.

"Boss!" Kyle protested and handed the coffees to Evan who was beyond amused and biting his tongue.

Sam stood up and walked up to Kyle, "You do this again and I'm yanking your chair. Final warning."

Kyle turned on his heel and looked defeated but there was nothing he could do. He should have known Sam would've thrown him out for even joking about being less than 100%.

"Give my dang non-soy," Kyle moodily said and Evan handed him his drink.

"And Kyle, don't show up tonight," Sam called out. He heard Kyle grumble as he headed out the door.

Sam and Evan headed down to the studio, Evan asking his boss where his truck was.

"Out front. I like to look like someone is here this early," Sam answered him.

"Yeah, I can see that," Evan responded.

There had been a string of early morning burglaries at some businesses down the road from them. It was out of the ordinary so Sam wanted to look present. They were in a middle class area of town but Sam wasn't taking any chances.

Sam thought for a moment about the area and how it was far from bad.

He had come from the wrong side of the tracks, as some would say, in working class Cleveland. His mother, Eleanor, had been a single mother to him and his younger brother Matthew since he could remember. Their dad had left the family and moved several states over when Sam had been seven and Sam had not seen him since. As far as Sam was concerned his father, Thomas O'Brien could've fucked himself, as he had started a whole new family in New Jersey. Sam had an apparent step mom and sister and his dad a whole new life.

Sam was 32, looked a little older than that, and was the father of a three-year-old girl who was soon to be four. Gracie was the absolute light of his life and his reason for everything. Thankfully she looked and acted nothing like her mother, Angel, and he hoped that would never change. Angel, his ex-girlfriend, was now a thorn in his side and he was about to lose his mind dealing with her exaggerated child support needs.

Sam wanted full custody of Gracie. He knew that would probably be tough as he had a criminal history and as far as the authorities knew, Angel did not. Sam's criminal past was a far off history and he had been spotless since then, but being in the wrong place at the wrong time during a convenience store robbery back in Cleveland had almost derailed his life completely. He served four years out of seven and put miles between him and that life. Cleveland was going to stay in his rearview forever and if it wasn't for his mom's gravesite being in a nearby town he wouldn't ever visit Ohio.

His mother had succumbed to cancer when he was in prison and his brother left town before she had even passed, moving to Minnesota to become, of all things, a preacher at a church.

  
  
April had spent a good amount of time online looking up whatever she could find about Sam Orion. She found his true surname was O'Brien, he was six years older than her, he appeared to have never been married...at least not recently...and all photos she could locate of him showed him with a beard. He had made a name for himself in NYC and had come to Atlanta several years before his child was born. The math was hard to follow regarding the years, but it seemed like he left Cleveland and headed straight to New York and then sometime later came to Atlanta. What April had a hard time locating was more on his criminal record. Mallory and Robert had spoken about it. It may have been expunged or Sam had been a minor, but it was not coming up. She would have to sneak into the file for when she got to work. Course she would probably see Angel Collier, hell on wheels, the following day at work. She wondered if Sam was a bit on the asshole side, too, if he had been wrapped up with such a woman. No evidence of him being anything but cool and normal came up in her search. He had no personal social media - it was all tied to his business - but she could tell when he did smile, it was genuine.

April was not the least interested in ever getting a tattoo. As silly as it seems, she always said, "too permanent." Well duh, she always felt after saying that to friends. She also didn't come from the type of polite Charleston family who tolerated tattoos on people. "Garish," her mother would always say about them.

Still, while she felt this was absolutely insane, April wondered how she would ever have a reason to meet Sam or come into his shop. She felt like a teenage girl but she almost wanted to meet him, see him in person. Would she concoct a story about needing to check out a tattoo studio? Orion seemed a bit on the expensive side, so she couldn't come off as just a fly-by-night tattoo enthusiast. Plus, she reasoned, look at her. She was definitely not a tattoo enthusiast.

April kyboshed the idea. It was almost like a stalker and very childish. Sam would have to remain someone she admired through social media or through updates to his website.

She was falling asleep to the [music on the player](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pfwwl2qZQjY) near her bed and thinking about his gaze.

"Sam", she smiled to herself.


	4. Chapter 4

April had been sitting at her desk with anticipation that Friday morning. Angel Collier was set to come in and she was interested to see what this woman looked like. Sure, April reasoned, she could have looked Angel up, but she felt enough had been enough with the prying into Sam's life. She only had wanted to get a glimpse of Sam himself and satisfy her curiousity. Unfortunately she had become a little obsessed and had spent the entire night "researching" him, but no one needed to know that. The man had been unreal and very likely the handsomest man she had ever seen.

Jessica had been in a conference room with Mallory most of the morning, preparing for Angel's meeting. Since Jessica had her laptop with her she instant-messaged April that Angel had arrived:

SHE JUST PULLED INTO THE PARKING LOT

The conference room faced client parking, so Jessica had the vantage point. April was sitting down the hall and decided she would come up to the lobby under the guise of looking for something at Nancy's desk. Nancy was head of front desk reception and a very nice older woman. 

April had timed it wrong and ended up having to stand and chit-chat with Nancy about arts and crafts while Angel took her sweet time getting out of a large black SUV. 

She immediately could see Angel looked like the expensive version of cheap and she did not look warm and fuzzy. Angel had long stiletto nails and heels, a designer light pink suit, dark tan, high-end bag, plumped lips and huge sunglasses. She was carrying a large coffee from a place around the corner. As Angel was about to come through the front door she stopped and took out a compact to look at her lips. She did not just have lipstick on but also lip liner and probably lip primer. Her hair was nearly black but she had lighter streaks to it that did not look natural. It was clear she spent at least an hour on her hair or more and it was to her mid back. Angel looked every bit the image of an adult actress who had money. 

April was trying to not be too obvious in paying attention to Angel coming to the door. Nancy stopped talking to her however, when she realized who was approaching. "April, I have to bring her to the conference room, or she will chew me out like the last time," Nancy said, rolling her eyes before Angel entered their lobby.

April stepped back while Nancy stood to greet Angel, who had now opened the door. A waft of body spray came into their lobby and Angel came up, not cracking even the smallest bit of a smile at them.

"Mallory," is all Angel said, indicating who she was there for with blatant and rude oversimplicity.

"Of course, Ms. Collier," Nancy acknowledged.

"Mrs. King," Angel corrected her.

Nancy nodded and took Angel to the meeting. For only a split second had Angel looked April's way before turning. As Angel followed Nancy down the hall to the conference room April breathed a sigh of relief. Angel had that intimidating air to her - like the kind of bully in high school that wanted to kick your ass for saying hi to her boyfriend.

  


The law firm walls were not so thick that April could not hear patches of conversation in the conference room. Angel was raising her voice repeatedly, peppering her comments with "he had better", "I want more than that", and "fuck his feelings about our child". 

April got a cold feeling rush through her. Mallory was a very skilled attorney and in most of her cases she prevailed. Unless Sam brought the big guns, Angel was going to get everything she wanted out of the case and more. 

It was only to be a two hour long meeting but it ran over into three. April could tell when it was over as they were gathering items up. She heard Mallory approach the conference room door and open it, "I will update our file on him...that definitely is something of interest," she said to Angel.

"Good. I want to bring him to his knees," Angel said. 

April stayed in her office. Once was enough when it came to crossing paths with Angel Collier, now King. 

A few minutes passed and Jessica was angrily walking down the hall towards her own office. She passed April's door but came back and entered April's office. Closing the door she sat down in a chair up against the wall. April was looking at her with disbelief and commented, "That bad, huh? I could hear some of it."

"Gotdamn that woman is a bitch," Jessica vented, shaking her head, "She was dumped by the man several years ago, but apparently she's never gotten over it. She wants to rip his heart out."

"Sam dumped her?" April asked, hoping Jessica would divulge more. She knew they were no longer together, but did not know who initiated things.

"Oh yeah," Jessica said, nodding and then proceeding to tell the story, "So, Sam met her years ago when she was a stripper. Apparently she was nicer then, which means she was only less of a bitch..."

April laughed.

"Anyways, I guess they began a relationship, he gives her like $10,000 in really good tattoos, he starts to see her crazy side....my thoughts, not Angel's...and by the time he wants to end things, she announces she's pregnant with the little girl, Gracie."

April nodded and commented that it all sounded like a soap opera.

"Yep. So Sam stays with her for a year or so after Gracie is born but when he could take no more, boom...dumped."

Jessica continued, "Since that day, Sam has wanted full custody of Gracie but it hasn't been easy. Not with Mallory involved. She has made it clear to every judge that hears the case that Sam is an ex-con and was involved in a robbery."

"That's right," April said, "I had heard Robert mention armed robbery."

"Right right. 'Cept Sam didn't handle a gun. He was just a driver. His friends had the guns and they robbed the a convenience store up in Cleveland. His friends got 10 years and because Sam had nothing but some public defender, he got seven....despite never even having had a gun in his hand."

April felt bad for Sam. She also recalled something about him serving four years per Mallory and Robert's talk yesterday. 

"Angel said that is where Sam learned to tattoo," Jessica continued.

"In Cleveland?"

"In prison," Jessica clarified, "Like you see in the movies. Doing prison tattoos in cells with all sorts of banned rudimentary tools."

April could envision Sam in a jail cell with some kind of needle and ink taken from prison items. She didn't know how prisoners invented their tools, but had seen it achieved in movies. This all made Sam seem like a bad boy and it pushed her farther into wanting to know more.

Jessica kept on, "Apparently he was so good at tattooing and drawing that someone in prison put him in contact with a well-known parlor owner in New York. Sam serves his four years, gets out and walks into this brand new career...no questions asked and no hurdles put up before him."

"He must be really really good. I mean...I could tell that from his work on his site," April admitted, a little embarrassed.

"That's right. You were looking him up last night," Jessica laughed, "I would book some work with him but the wait list is so dang long."

"Really? So you checked into it?" April asked.

"Of course I did. I wanted Sam Orion leaning over me as he tattooed something, anything. Could be my face for all I care!"

They both started laughing, them both tickled by the silly idea of a rose or a butterfly on Jessica's forehead.

***  
Sam was leaning in, tattooing the thigh of a girl with a design he had drawn up for her from her description three hours before. She had wanted a subtle rainbow reflected in the waters of a lake, pine trees on the banks of the water and a wooden deck she used to run off of and jump from when she was a kid. All in a day's work for Sam and he could make it look like a picture but with the character of a tattoo. The girl, a 23-year-old college student from Michigan, had flown down just to have Sam work on her.

The girl was admiring Sam's intensity as he worked; the seriousness on his face, his green eyes narrowed and the expression he made as he got to the most detailed parts. She also appreciated the musculature to his forearm, his beautiful hands in purple latex gloves, and the gentleness with how he tattooed. It hurt, but not nearly as bad as the other tattoos she had. Even when he wiped the excess ink, it felt like a glide and not as seering as it had been with the last tattoo someone else had given her.

She could see a little down his shirt, the v-neck exposing a that bit of chest she daydreamed about licking...all the way down to his fun parts. 

Sam would look up at her and smile slightly, in his typical Sammy way. He knew the girls loved watching him work on them and with the money they were paying, he was fine with obliging in a few niceties.

"We're almost finished, baby doll," Sam said in a very faint southern accent. Despite growing up in Cleveland and living many years in Manhattan, Sam had an almost stereotypical trucker or biker voice. One that sounded like he had spent years doing hard things. If given a guitar, Evan always swore Sam could've probably played a Southern Rock tune with it. Sam's voice was deep, sexy and Kyle joked, "could peel the panties off a girl just within earshot."

Kyle was looking at Sam work from his place across the studio. "That sunnovabitch," Kyle muttered to himself. The college girl in his chair was not even bothering with her cell phone. She could barely keep her eyes off Sam the entire time he was working on her. Evan had always told Kyle if he had wanted game like Sam he would have to learn to master his subtle charm. Kyle always scoffed at that. Sam wasn't even interested in clients in sexual way anymore. As Sam got older, the girls got younger and they weren't worth messing with. Kyle wished he was at that stage in his life. Still, Sam never went without, as a lot of women in Atlanta...whether teachers, nurses, or exotic dancers threw themselves at Sam when they were out at their favorite bars.

Leslie came walking by and stopped at Kyle's station, "All dressed up and no one to tattoo. Sucks, huh?"

"Stop busting my balls, Lez. Sam rescheduled my people for the rest of the week just because I was hung over."

"I mean, I would, too. You can't risk a bad tattoo."

Kyle scoffed. His hands were even more steady drunk than when he was sober. Course, he could never prove that to Sam, as the latter would never have allowed him to tattoo that way. But he tattooed plenty of his friends while intoxicated.

Today Kyle had to clean up stations and write a 100 word essay on not coming in "three fucking sheets to the wind," as Sam had put it. Sam was still sore about the prior day. Kyle didn't want to admit he agreed with Sam and grumbled as he kept writing on Sam's notepad. It was a priviledge to work with Sam and Kyle nodded his head to himself begrudgingly as he remembered it.

"Kyle, get me some sterilized water. I forgot it," Sam asked. Kyle rolled his eyes and grabbed some from his station.

"No, that's yours. Bring me mine from my office," Sam corrected him. Kyle's face turned red as he knew good and well Sam never forgot to place the water at his own station. He was just being an ass to Kyle.

Kyle fetched the item while Evan laughed from his station. Sam smirked and waited patiently for Kyle.

"Here," Kyle said as he handed it to Sam. 

Sam thanked him and started treating his client's finished tattoo. Kyle sulked back to his station and Sam's client asked him, "Doesn't he usually tattoo?"

Everyone started laughing except Kyle, for all the other tattooists had someone in their chair, except for him.

Sam looked over at Kyle, grinning, as he responded to the girl, "Kyle's accepted clerical duties today, kiddo." Everyone started laughing again and Kyle was fuming. 

"Come on, Sam!" Kyle responded.

Sam returned to wrapping up his work, still smiling. Kyle had a lot to learn as a tattooist and a man. Sam had met him at a trade show in Dallas many years ago. He had seen Kyle's work and had been impressed and asked him if he had wanted to come check out his studio. Kyle had been all to happy to come to Atlanta and possibly join Orion Tattoos. Sam had just had a tattooist leave to start his own business, and he was looking for someone who had drive and fantastic work. Kyle had said drive until he got too wrapped up in the females, Sam would much later learn. Women ruled Kyle's life, as did smoking pot on the couch. While Sam appreciated the excellent weed Kyle was a master at acquiring, it drove him nuts to see how Kyle's ambition fell apart year after year. He would need to wrangle him in.

When Sam was finally finished with his client he went to his office to any new text messages he missed and wrap up for the day. It was nearing five o'clock and it was time to head home.

ANGEL: I HOPE YOU CAN FEEL THAT - I GOT YOUR BALLS IN A VICE, ASSHOLE!!

Sam's brow furrowed. He hated that he had to keep his vile ex-girlfriend's number even in his phone. As they shared custody of Gracie, he could not completely get rid of Angel.

He was used to insults from her but this sounded like she was up to something. Against his better judgment he responded:

WHAT DID YOU GO AND DO?

Evan popped his head in the door to Sam's office, saw his boss was looking pissed and kept it quick, "Night, Sammy."

Sam looked up, said "Be safe," but had a little bit of jugular popping in his neck. 

Evan nodded, knowing it was Angel and left.

ANGEL: YOU'LL FIND OUT SOON ENUFF THRU MY LAWYER

Sam sat back for a moment and felt like tossing his phone, except that it was new and he needed it. Gracie was at his neighbor's house for the day, playing, and he needed to be reachable. It was his turn to have Gracie, and he was eager to get home to see her.

His ex was likely plotting to completely take Gracie. First it was every other month, then twice a month, then a week, and now she was wanting him to only have her one or two days out of a month. He knew where this was heading and he needed to get ahold of his attorney.

He wouldn't give Angel the satisfaction of responding. He didn't have time for it. Whatever she had to say to him, she could ask her stuck up lawyer to relay to his own attorney. He knew Angel had been successful in using a crime he was involved in over a decade ago, in order to get the courts to think he was unfit. The judges didn't see him as a simple tattoo artist, but as white trash. That he knew. He also knew that Angel was engaged to Toney King, an acquaintance of his who always seemed one step ahead of the law. Despite being a former stripper and now adult movie actress, she still had a family unit for Gracie, whereas Sam did not. Lazy judges would rather award custody to the low-class mom than to a dad with a distant record.

Sam cracked his knuckles and stood, relieving the day's pain from tattooing, then cracked his neck by moving his head from one shoulder to the other.

It would be a tough fight, but he was going to do all he could to keep Gracie from being solely Angel's.


	5. Chapter 5

Sam lived north of Atlanta, in what used to be the country. His house was three stories, with a wine cellar and two-car garage at ground level, a second level that was the main floor of the house and a small third story that had a guest bedroom and bathroom. One had to take stairs up to the main floor as the wine cellar dipped into the earth a few feet. It was a neat house, one he designed himself when he made enough money with the Studio.

He only had one vehicle, a black Ford F150 from the 90s that he absolutely loved. He had gotten it when he lived in Arizona for a very short time. It never died on him and was very reliable. He had just had the seats reupholstered in an old-school fabric from the 50s and he had a brand new steering wheel made to look like it originally did in the vehicle, as the old one was falling apart. Friends always said he could get a newer vehicle, a high-end one, but to Sam his truck was a family member.

As he drove it down the dirt road he lived off of he smiled when he thought of the good sex he had in the truck bed. Funny to him as he both liked the memories but felt he no longer wanted one night stands like that anymore.

He had not had sex in a month, which was a new record for him. Sam had not gone that long without sex since he was a teenager. But it was no sex at all for him lately...at least not with someone else...for he knew how to take care of matters in the shower. After going a little wild with women after he and Angel split, it all started to feel empty. Kyle and Robby were always begging him to send them the girls he was finished with, but that bothered Sam, too. He didn't know what was going on but he was getting tired of...

"Pussy?" Kyle laughed with disbelief, Sam remembered, "You're tired of fucking a bunch of really hot women?"

Sam smiled again as he neared his house thinking about Kyle's shock. He guessed the issue was he wanted to have an actual girlfriend and not women who just desired him for his fame and fortune. He knew they loved his looks, too, but it all seemed so tiresome. A lot of these women couldn't hold a conversation with Sam and he began to stop trying. Just sex - fuck them hard, let them orgasm, then get himself off. 

He pulled into his driveway thinking about how the last time he was truly in love it was six years ago with Vanessa. He never loved Angel.

"Daddy!" he heard a voice yell from the yard next door as he got out of his truck. He immediately beamed and looked over and saw his little red-headed Gracie standing with two of the neighbor's kids. They seemed to be playing with plastic kiddie garden tools and pretending to be gardeners.

"Junebug!" he called out to her and noticed she was having too much fun.

His neighbor Missy called from her side porch, "Sam, I can keep her until you get settled in!"

Sam nodded over at her, "Yeah, let me get a shower real quick! I'd hate to ruin her fun!"

Missy nodded. Gracie loved playing with Missy's kids, Ben and Ashley, and as much as he wanted to sweep her up and take her inside for dinner he knew he needed to clean up.

Sam never parked his truck in the garage. He would leave it in the driveway and then take the stairs up to the wraparound porch and his front door. He opened the screen door and unlocked the inner door, entering his home.

The Orion residence smelled of wood and a candle his employee Shana had gotten him for Christmas. Just a nice wood smoke candle to go with the cedar smell inside. Sam joked it smelled like a true cabin up until Shana gave him that candle. The candle made his house smell like a decorating magazine home, he liked to say. One that smelled "fancy". Shana would always tell him to shut up and enjoy it. 

When you walked through Sam's front door you saw a big kitchen on the left, a living room with a large stone fireplace ahead of you, glass doors that led to the back porch and pool and Gracie's room and a spare bedroom on the left. Sam's bedroom was past the kitchen down a short hall and it was a pretty big room. He had once wanted a fireplace that was open from both sides...the living room and his bedroom, but he knew that would be difficult for privacy reasons. He had a big bathroom just off his bedroom with a shower and a claw foot tub. Sam needed to soak more and more as he got older; tattoo work could hurt the neck and back and sometimes he was kinked up when he got home from work.

Sam came to his bedroom, closed the door and tore off his clothes, passing a floor-length distressed mirror he bought at a garage sale. 

He was fully nude and stood up straight, carefully checking if his posture was changing from his line of work. Thus far it was not. He rubbed his beard and realized he needed to trim it a little. Rubbing his chest he was pleased with how his body looked. He worked out by chopping firewood, helping friends with home improvement projects like brick stoves and decks, and basically lifting weight when he could to stay fresh. Sam was not ripped but nearly so. He had a nice chest, good biceps and forearms, a slightly carved back, and tight abs. His thighs and legs were just as nice as was his backside. 

Sam didn't want to be too into his body but he knew this all was a part of his image. As soon as he retired - which would be many years down the road - he was going to let it all go and eat pizza nearly every day. That was his retirement goal besides seeing Gracie go to college.

His body wasn't the only thing to be admired. Sam was lucky in another regard. And that regard needed a little bit of attention as soon as he hit the shower.

  


Sam turned on the faucet and the hot water started spraying down. Getting in he felt his muscles relax and he groaned.

"Shit, my neck," he said, realizing it had been a little more tense than usual. He put his right hand on the tile and looked down as the spray hit the back of his neck and his shoulders.

About three minutes of this and he was starting to think about something he was doing two months ago with a woman he met at a grocery store. He could still see her whipping her head back and her hair trailing, a scream escaping her lips. 

Sam took hold of his cock and started going at it, enjoying the image. He gritted his teeth and recalled her nails digging into his chest and her screaming out his name.

He exploded, his output hitting the wall and his fingers clutching at the tile. "Gah, fuck!" he said and recalled he had forgotten that woman's name.

  
  
April woke up Saturday morning and jogged around her neighborhood. It was 6 am when she had awoke and still dark out and the cold air had been surprisingly biting. Normally she warmed up with jogging but being that it was January in Georgia, it was dipped down to the 40s. 

She was wearing her leggings and a t-shirt, trainers and had a little fanny pack. She started to try and think warm thoughts and up came the image of Sam on the cover of one tattoo magazine she saw. He was tattooed all over, she gathered, except on his legs and backside. Although she never saw his bare butt, she could tell the tattoos stopped at the base of his back. It did look, however that he had something like a pirate ship that started to sweep down to his left thigh but the photos she saw never depicted it clearly. 

One thing she adored was featured prominently on Sam and that was the V line that built men would get. It ran down from their torso and to their privates and Sam had a gorgeous one. There had been a few photographs on the Orion website of him in black jeans and nothing else, his "iliac furrow" looking beautiful as it dipped into the waist of the jeans.

April sighed and realized she had to find a boyfriend and fast. All these thoughts she had about Sam were driving her a little bonkers. It was not her style too dwell on a man like this. Still, Sam was no normal man. He was an angel and a devil and played on her mind a lot.

As April neared her condo she realized she needed to get groceries. Maybe there would be good-looking men at the store.

"Where does Atlanta keep all their men?" she said to herself as she came up the walkway.

"Beats me!" she heard Anita call out from her living room window. She had been sitting there enjoying the morning air with a coffee. "If you find out, let me know!" and she and April both giggled.


	6. Chapter 6

Gracie was asleep on Sam's lap, her head on her pillow and her doll and blanket wrapped tight in her arms. Sam had the TV on low in the living room and was barely paying attention to it as he smoothed her hair. It was Saturday evening and the next morning would bring Toney and Angel to his driveway to come get his little girl.

Sam was fine with Toney. The man had once been a petty criminal but was now mainly a family man. He had come from a large proud Puerto Rican family and knew Sam when they both lived in New York. Toney had once dealt in drugs on a very minor scale but that lifestyle had been so long gone that Sam was no longer worried about it. Sam actually trusted Gracie's well-being more with Toney than he did with his ex-girlfriend. Angel never mistreated Gracie; had she, Sam would've come at her with all the fire he could muster. The problem with Angel is she was more focused on her "career" than being a mom. Sam wasn't excited about Angel's job, either. Adult soft core films were Angel's newest venture and there was always someone who wanted to watch her get tied up or spanked by a plumber. 

This was something Sam could never get the courts to see. He had the criminal past, while her lifestyle meant nothing. Thankfully, Sam had a new attorney now and was prepared for the next time Angel came at him, which he imagined would be soon. Her text Friday night made him pause for concern as she was up to something. Whatever it was, he would have his attorney fight it.

A text came in from his attorney, Paul Hansen, and Sam couldn't believe the odds. The man was a mind reader, apparently:

MALLORY SAYRE WANTS TO HOLD A MEDIATION WITH US IN A MONTH. ARE YOU AVAILABLE FEBRUARY 2ND?

Sam knew he would be booked solid that day. It was a Monday but he had to make it work. He wanted to beat Angel at whatever she was planning and he needed a conference with Paul beforehand, anyways.

Sam responded that he could make it happen, move some clients and he needed to speak with Paul beforehand. Paul agreed and said he would call him later in the evening on Sunday.

That was it. Paul probably had some inside information on what Angel had planned and would execute his own plan of action. He was a highly successful attorney and Sam felt like Angel and Mallory would not know what hit him. His prior attorney had essentially gotten Sam bum deals.

Gracie stirred and Sam whispered, "We need to get you in bed, junebug."

His daughter whined like she normally did when woken up and he said, "Come on, daddy will get you to your room."

Gracie complained a little as Sam picked her up and took her pillow, blanket and doll with them. Her own completely pink bedroom was just a few feet off the living room and as soon as he got her tucked in she would fall asleep. He put her down in her little twin bed and she rolled towards the wall the bed was up against, snuggling with her doll. He situated the pillow under her head and brought her comforter up.

"Nighty night, baby," he said and kissed her head. She was already asleep.

Sam looked down at her and wished he could drift off that quickly. He smiled, realizing she fell asleep so easily because she was little and happy.

He got back out to the living room and his cell was ringing. It was Paul. Sam answered.

"I'd rather tell you now, than wait Sunday night," Paul began.

Sam uneasily said, "What is it?"

"Well," Paul continued, "It's ridiculous. Angel wants to make it so you completely lose Gracie and she's trying to use a drug history you had as leverage."

"FUCK!" Sam roared, away from the phone so as not to yell into Paul's ear. He started pacing. Over his dead body. No one would ever take Gracie away from him. He could hear Paul talking and put the phone back to his ear, "I can't believe her!" Sam continued.

"Well wait. So I have done some digging, too and found case law of a similar situation. Now...you did tell me how you sold and did drugs long ago. It was brief, wasn't it?" Paul asked him.

Sam nodded was pacing looking up at the ceiling, his chest rising and falling with anger. He remembered the hard times he had fallen on many years ago and Toney was his only lifeline. "I sold drugs for maybe, if I was being generous, a month! And it was for Angel's fucking fiancée!" 

"Yep. Anthoney Ramon King, correct?"

"Yes. But he's the world's only drug dealer who has never been popped for anything more than having too much weed in a suitcase once in Florida!"

Paul knew there wasn't much to use there. Toney had somehow skated by without getting caught, "But see Sam, for Angel to use that against you she has to have an arrest. And you were never arrested for actually selling drugs, correct?"

"Correct."

"And on top of that...and lemme tell you, your ex-girlfriend is very stupid indeed..." Paul continued, Sam smiling ruefully and shaking his head, "...she would be implicating her own fiancée as the very guy who had you sell his drugs."

"Bingo. I was about to say that," Sam said. Sam knew the drug idea Angel was using was slipshod but he was so worn out from dealing with her and her constant attempts to take Gracie away.

"So this case law I have, in case we need it, was about a similar situation between a man and his ex-wife. But honestly, I don't think Angel will want to go that route once we wake her up about Toney."

Sam agreed, "So what is the plan. I need to see more of my little girl, not less, Paul. I need this all to slide in a different direction."

"Well I am going to work the Toney angle even more because it appears he is STILL involved in selling drugs. I put a detective on him weeks ago and boy o' boy, Sammy. Have we got enough surveillance to turn in to the State's Attorney's."

Sam stopped walking back and forth and stood still, "Wait a second. You have video or something of Toney selling drugs?" Sam's blood was starting to boil. He had trusted Toney with his little girl and here he was back in the game.

"Mr. O'Brien, that is exactly what I am telling you.":

  


It had taken everything in Sam's power to not rip Toney through his rolled down SUV window, drag him across the gravel driveway and beat his ass that Sunday morning. Sam had thankfully held back. Toney had greeted Sam with a smile and Angel, who sat in the passenger seat, could barely look at Sam.

Gracie had climbed into her carseat in the back and smiled, "See you soon, daddy!" So Sam put on a brave face, but his eyes were glaring at Toney.

"Everything alright, Sammy?" Toney had asked him, "You look upset."

Sam nodded, "Just some shit at work," he lied and narrowed his eyes at Angel. Toney took it to mean he was really irritated with Angel and nodded, "It was good seeing you, friend."

Sam mumbled, "Yeah" and he watched Toney back his SUV out of the driveway, Gracie waving at Sam.

Once they were out on the dirt road and driving off Sam spat, "I'm going to fucking kill him."

***

"Mondays suck," Jessica said as Nancy unlocked the door to Sayre & Perkins. April was dead tired as she had stayed up all night on the phone with her best friend Michelle talking about men and drooling over Sam. 

"Do they ever," April yawned and Nancy led them in.

As the motion lights came on in the firm's offices, Jessica said to April, "Oh, have I got a treat for you."

April followed Jessica down the hall, "Really? I could use a treat."

"Lemme put my stuff down in my office and I will be back," Jessica said once they got to April's doorway, "Mallory isn't due in for another hour and I wanted to talk about this now."

April said, "Oh goodie" and was eager to hear some fun gossip. She entered her office and started turning on her PC and attaching her laptop to it.

In two minutes, Jessica was back, closing the door.

"Ooh a door-closer. I can't wait for this," April said as Jessica sat down.

"Guess who is coming to our office in a month? GUESS?" Jessica asked, wide-eyed with excitement.

April was thinking Jessica was getting at the mayor or something as part of a campaign she knew Mallory and Robert were working on. She was about to guess that but didn't see why her coworker would be excited. 

"Samuel Jesse Orion!" Jessica said, her mouth falling open in mock shock.

April was speechless and sat back in her chair.

"Yep!" Jessica continued.

"How...why...for Angel?" April stammered. She felt giddy all of a sudden.

"For a mediation with his attorney, Angel, and Mallory," Jessica told her. "I mean, we will get to see him...my God!" 

They were laughing about how goofy they were being, but if Sam's photos did him justice like they did the man himself would be amazing in person.

"We've got to prepare. You go get a breast augmentation and I will get a tummy tuck!" Jessica joked.

April laughed and then said, "Hey! I am a C cup!"

"I'm teasing...really though. I am going to shave everything, even though he's never going to see it!" Jessica said.

"Jessica!"

"And you...wait...you're single. Unbutton your blouse more," Jessica was being a riot.

"I couldn't date him, even if he was single. First, I work here. I would be a conflict of interest and I'd get fired..." April said.

"Blah blah blah..." Jessica rolled her eyes.

"...AND he probably has two girlfriends already."

"Look, if I was single I'd risk it all just to have one night with him, you know what I mean?" Jessica leveled with her.

April shook her head. She knew Jessica was being silly. 

She also knew she would not get anything done all day, she was so excited of the idea of finally seeing Sam in person.


	7. Chapter 7

Shana Hudson was the receptionist and Kyle-proclaimed "Do Girl" of Orion Tattoos & Piercing. Just 21 years old, she didn't look a day over 18 and was the youngest employee in the studio. 

She had met Sam outside a convenience store just after she turned 18. Her parents, who were deadbeat drug addicts, had thrown her out for not wanting to sleep with her dad's friend for money. Shana's mother and father, needless to say, were terrible people, in and out of jail, and yet while she grew up mainly at her grandmother's, she was unceremoniously thrown back to her parents when she was just 13. Shana had no faith in a system that would put a minor back into the hands of people who didn't want her and were so abusive.

Sam had spotted Shana outside the convenience store three days in a row. The backstory was Shana had walked from her parents two-bedroom apartment in South Carolina to the nearest bus station with just $276.00 in her purse. She had gotten all the way to Atlanta. She found her way to a middle class part of town and went into the first convenience store she saw, asking them if they had any applications. She figured it couldn't be that hard to ring people up and stock shelves with candy. Unfortunately, they said they weren't hiring and so she bought a bunch of sodas and chips and sat outside at a picnic bench. She had no idea what her next plan of action was but she could see there was an old camper behind the convenience store. Shana had planned to sneak into it, however she saw it was already occupied by one of the employees in the store and he was a guy. She didn't want to shack up with a man, so she waited and spent the night at the picnic bench. 

On day one a black Ford F150 pulled up. She could see a man with a beard wearing aviator sunglasses in the driver seat. He had a frontend license plate that said "Gracie" and it struck Shana as very strange since it was so pink and so girly. The man got out of the truck and nodded at Shana as he walked up to the convenience store.

Shana was impressed by how attractive this man was. It was the kind of attractive that you don't forget all day, because it stops you in your tracks. Shana loved how he had sleeves on both arms and tattoos running up his neck. He was wearing a blue and black plaid shirt that was unbuttoned to mid-chest and he looked like he smelled really good.

Shana had sat waiting for him to come back out. When he finally did five minutes later she saw him regard her again once he got back into his truck. She was certain he didn't find her cute - it was probably because he wondered if she was homeless, she reckoned.

At that point Shana figured that would be the last she'd see of him until he came back the next day, same time. He looked her way and nodded again, "Afternoon," he said to her.

"I know," Shana said back. He had kept going but then stopped, and turned, smirking at her, before he continued on into the store. He didn't know Shana was a tiny bit socially inept and was just confirming for him that it was, in fact, the afternoon. He had figured she was being a smart ass.

When he came back out he could see she was looking at him. She had an innocence to her and it made him wonder if she was a child runaway. He also realized she was wearing the same shirt she had on yesterday because it featured a band his friend Evan liked. 

Shana watched him get back in his truck and pull out, southern rock playing loud.

Finally on day three, he came back at a different time. It was noon, which she perceived to be his lunch time and that he must've worked nearby.

Shana was ready to watch him walk inside, but instead her heart raced when he came up and sat down opposite her at the picnic table.

"You like Queen, huh?" he said to her.

Shana looked at him and wondered what he was talking about and then she remembered the tee she had been wearing for several days straight. "Oh yeah...they're pretty good, I guess."

Mr. Sexy Beard, as she was beginning to think of him laughed and then turned a moment, taking off his sunglasses to clean them with the edge of his shirt. 

Shana was beside herself as she finally saw his eyes. They were the most striking shade of brilliant green she had ever seen. 

She giggled and said, "Mountain Dew", which made him look at her.

"What?" he smiled.

"Your eyes. They are the color of my favorite soda."  
  
  
Sam had taken Shana to his friend Miranda's house to stay the night. It had been an awkward truck ride to Miranda's because Shana didn't know how to talk to a man like Sam. Where she came from in South Carolina the men were missing a good bit of their teeth and a lot of them were lecherous towards her. Sam did not make her feel like she was in harms way, but she had no idea how to carry on a conversation with him. 

Shana ended up staying at Miranda's for two weeks and then Sam's for three months until she moved into her own apartment. One month into all of this Sam had hired her at the studio as they needed a receptionist. Kyle and Evan had been tired of manning the front desk and Shana jumped at the chance. She also got three new tattoos out of the deal, one covering up a pretty bad tat that she gotten for $45 a few year prior. Sam did them all and they were the most gorgeous works of art she had ever seen.

Shana looked at Sam as a father figure and a big brother. He was massively attractive but she got to know him pretty well and see just how good a man he was. Any idea of desiring him fell by the wayside, especially since he was over a decade older than her. His daughter loved her but the mother hated her. Angel had referred to Shana as stupid and ugly, which Shana knew always ticked Sam off immensely. She practically whooped when she heard he had finally ended things with Angel, but knew a long road lay ahead when it came to keeping Gracie with him.

  


Shana sat listening one morning to Leslie, Kyle and Robby gossip about Sam, Evan jumping in with admonishments. 

"I think he has been extra grumpy lately, yo. No sex and battling it out with Angel," Kyle remarked, as he prepped his station. It was 7:30 am and Sam was coming in a little later.

"That's what you think. I bet Sam's been banging his way through Atlanta. Just doesn't let knuckleheads like you know about it," Robby said.

"It's not the sex. He's been dickish for years," Leslie said, filing her nails.

"Guys," Evan broke in, "Why do we have to make Sammy the topic of conversation every single morning? You all need to stop."

Leslie rolled her eyes and started to then scroll through her phone. Her first customer of the day was due in at 8 am, which was too damn early for her. Sam was making her take clients earlier to share the load and she hated him for it. Especially since her father, the great Lex Parsons had been Sam's mentor.

"What? You disagree?" Evan asked her, "I mean, there's gotta be something else we can talk about besides Sammy's personal life." He looked around and everyone sat there.

He shook his head and turned to a design he was working on.

Everyone was quiet for a moment and then Kyle started back in, "I dunno, man. I guess he gets to live such a more exciting life," Kyle reasoned, "And he gets some mighty fine poon." Robby got up and high-fived Kyle and Evan shook his head again.

Shana listened and said nothing. They usually made fun of her input. Evan was the only one who really cared what she said, outside of Sam. Leslie was too much a femme fatale with her always blood-red nails and black hair and Kyle was the kind of guy who in school would've picked on you if he liked you. Robby was all too happy to roll along with what Kyle liked, but he avoided Sam's ire a lot more than Kyle.

Still, the entire studio loved Sam. Evan counted Sam as his best friend and truly admired the man. Leslie appreciated that Sam had wanted to take the mantle from her father and run his business like Lex had. Robby owed a lot to Sam for fronting money for an operation his mother had. And Kyle...he looked up to Sam in many ways but would never admit it.

They all just liked to talk about Sam when he wasn't around. It was escapism from the mundane lives they led. Evan would sometimes join in but briefly. Fact is, there wasn't much to do in Atlanta or any other city once you had seen all of it. Shana imagined they liked to gossip at Lex Parsons' studio in New York when Sam and Leslie had been there. She could see Leslie as always being catty.

Leslie's client arrived early and came through the door. Leslie sighed and Shana checked the man in. It would be a long day at Orion without their leader.


	8. Chapter 8

FEBRUARY 2ND.

April had woken up at 4 am, excited about the day ahead of her. She had worked out at 5 am, then had her shower, ate a bagel with lox, enjoyed a coffee and blow-dried her hair out so it looked extra full and wavy. She had been wearing her hair in a professional ponytail that hung low at the base of her neck for most of her time at Sayre & Perkins, but she wanted to look a little cuter when Sam came in. If he even noticed her at all. She knew nothing would come of it, naturally. Just wanted to be pretty in front of an incredibly gorgeous man. 

She was smart to make sure she started wearing her hair down and not in the pony weeks before. She didn't want to come into the office on the day of all days with her hair down all of a sudden. Mallory would've looked at her funny and figured it out. Still, she had to make sure it wasn't too much and so she brushed it down a bit, making sure she didn't look unprofessional. There was a way to wear your hair long at the firm and make it look classy.

  


April and Jessica both got into work that morning all giddy. 

"Girl, what if he cancels?" Jessica worried, in charge of unlocking the door to the firm. Poor Nancy was out and was not going to get to enjoy Sam's presence. 

"Oh God no," April joked, "That would be in bad form, though."

"I know...his attorney would've rescheduled by now," Jessica said.

They entered the firm and went to their offices, "I have no clue who is going to handle reception with Nancy being out," Jessica called out from her desk.

April thought about it, "Can't we have Stephanie in the back do it?"

Moments later she heard Jessica walking briskly toward her office, "No. She's too busy with some shit Robert has going on," and then Jessica looked mischievous, "You remember how Mallory had you do it once or twice before and you HATED it?"

April understood what Jessica was getting at and started shaking her head, "No way. I have too much else to do."

Jessica then echoed something Mallory had said, "'Whatever you can do in your office, you can just do up here, but with a headset,'" and laughed.

"Oh God. Yeah I remember," April said. She was sitting for the Georgia Bar in three days and needed to study. Out of the goodness of her heart Mallory was allowing her to study at work. Just now she would be handling Bar prep and phones while a sick Nancy was out.

"I think you should just come sit up there," Jessica recommended, "That way when 9 am rolls, you're front and center for Mr. O'Brien."

April was not exactly excited to be wearing a headset when she met Sam, but she realized it didn't ultimately matter. At least she was seeing him and what little excitement she was getting out of that would keep her going all day. She had a date she was set to go on that upcoming weekend. It was with an ER doctor Anita had set her up with. April was not looking forward to it; she hated first dates and while the man seemed vey nice, she didn't like that she couldn't fall naturally into getting to know someone first and then deciding upon seeing them.

She spent the next 30 minutes readying the reception desk and getting her study items out. She had both notes on her tablet and a huge book she got online devoted to the Georgia Bar. Phones would be up at 8 am and she needed to be ready to field whatever came in.  
  
At 8 am Mallory arrived and looked at April sitting at the front reception. She said to her, "Oh. That's right. Nancy has the flu," thinking back, "You better sanitize or you'll catch what she had." 

April nodded, "I already did. I'm a little germaphobic."

Mallory gave a fake smile and leaned in, "Well, the world's biggest piece of trash is set to arrive at 9 am, so you'll want to really clean down reception after he leaves."

April looked at her and then uneasily smiled, "Yeah." She wanted to play along but felt Mallory was being overly mean. April could tell from what she observed of Sam online that he wasn't trashy.

Mallory pranced to her office with that little walk she had. April hated her damn walk. It was a "I'm a rich lawyer...and you are?" kind of walk. She was just happy Mallory had not questioned why April was all too eagerly working reception.

  
  
It was 8:40 am and Sam felt he was going to be a bit late. To make matters worse he had not looked up Sayre & Perkins' address in GPS. He was going 60 miles down the highway as he searched the address on his cell. Instead of hitting the direction button he clicked the firm's telephone number. It started dialing.

"Aw shit," he said and then figured whatever, he would just ask for directions.

April was looking at a bit about Eminent Domain in her Bar prep when her headset beeped, indicating a call. The caller ID was showing a 770 area code but no name.

"Sayre & Perkins, this is April," she answered, while highlighting a paragraph in the book. She could hear road noise and then a steady deep male voice came on the call.

"Yes, April," he drawled out her name, "I'm due to be at your office at 9 am, but I'm on Wesley Road now...please tell me I don't have far to go."

April's eyes grew wide. This had to be him. It had to be Sam. She felt a chill go over her body, she was so giddy.

She moved about in her chair, "Um...oh, so what is the nearest cross street you just passed?"

The male voice said, "Hold on darlin', lemme look."

April was dying. Darlin'.

"Habersham Road," he said finally, "Oh crap...you know what?"

April asked him, "What?"

"I think I just blew a red," and he laughed, "God damnit."

She laughed, "We're just seven blocks down...but that's if you're going west. What is the next cross street?"

"I'm pretty sure I'm going west," Sam assured her.

April told him what street he'd turn on and he thanked her. When he disconnected the line she immediately instant-messaged Jessica:

OMG. I JUST TALKED TO HIM. HE SOUNDS SO SEXY!

Jessica, who was already in the conference room with Mallory, Angel, Paul Hansen, and the mediator, responded back on her laptop: HECK YES!

April sat there waiting and prayed that a call would not come in. It took him seven minutes as a black pickup truck pulled into the parking lot and into a spot up front. April knew that had to be Sam - who else would be arriving at that time? 

She sat there watching as he got out of the truck. He was wearing a dark gray suit and tie and he looked amazing. April noticed she was shaking her right foot with nervousness and put her hand on her knee to stop it. He had aviator shades on and when he took them off as he neared the door, April felt butterflies swarm inside her.

Once inside, Sam approached the reception desk with a genuine smile, "Hellllo," he said sweetly, "Thank you for giving me directions."

April was careful to not stare at him with a dazed look on her face. She just pretended he was an old friend, "Oh, it was nothing. How did you know it was me when you called?"

Sam shrugged his shoulders, "I'm taking a wild guess since you're up front."

April laughed nervously, "Oh yeah." She then realized he was standing there, waiting for her to lead him to the back. "Um, follow me. The conference room is this way," she said and circled the reception desk. She caught a faint scent of aftershave and it smelled divine.

As she circled the desk she brushed past Sam to lead him. His eyes were brilliantly green and the natural color to his beard was three shades of red, gold, and brown. 

Knocking on the door as she opened it she saw everyone at the table in the conference room look at her, and then she caught Angel lay her eyes on Sam. Angel looked like there was both anger and regret in her face. Sam was incredibly handsome in his business attire. April could also pick up that Mallory perked a bit and Jessica smirked, "Mr. O'Brien," April said.

"You don't have to announce him," Mallory said, looking around at everyone like April was green, "We know who he is."

"Oh," April said and went to leave. Sam nodded at her and his eyes lingered for a second.

If April didn't know any better she would have thought Sam was attracted to her. 

Because she did know better, she knew it had to just be her imagination.


	9. Chapter 9

April could barely focus on her prep as she tried to listen to what was going on behind closed doors. Once again Angel was being loud and yet it appeared Sam remained as cool as a cucumber. April never once heard him raise his voice. The mediator was doing most of the talking and twice Sam and his attorney would leave the room and go outside to talk amongst themselves. Each time Sam looked a little stressed but seemed to be calmed by something his counsel would say to him.

The mediation dragged on like most mediations do until finally several hours in and at lunch time the conference room door opened.

Out came a smiling Sam with his attorney's hand on his shoulder. Back in the conference room April could see Angel with her head in her hands at the table. Mallory was saying something to Jessica and the mediator was getting up to leave.

Sam looked at April and nodded, smiling bigger. He winked at her and continued on with his attorney, who was patting his shoulder now. April was sure that everything went well for Sam in there and bad for Angel.

Jessica and the mediator came out, Jessica giving a discreet thumbs up that only April could see. The mediator handed April his card and told her to keep it on file, assuming she was their receptionist. By the time Mallory and Angel came out she could hear their plotting.

"It didn't work this time, but rest assured, Mrs. King, we will do everything in our power to overcome this outcome. It's temporary and your ex has a lot coming to him, that I swear," Mallory said.

Angel was nodding, "Should have been done already, Mallory. But I trust you. Do what you have to. I want Sam and his business destroyed."  
  


That Saturday April went on one of the worst dates in her life.

The ER doctor who Anita had set April up with and who was very cordial and classy in the few exchanges she had over text with him, turned out to be a complete pig. Right after April had been seated at a table in the restaurant they were meeting at, and had a chance to look around, she could see the man who looked like her date chatting up a younger woman at the bar. April watched him for a moment, assuming he did not know she was there. When two minutes turned into ten, she texted him. She watched him look at his phone and shake his head. It looked like he was explaining to the woman that "I have to do this date thing" and then he kissed her on the cheek saying goodbye. April watched her date look around the restaurant and finally his eyes landed on her. He smiled like he was pleased with April's good looks and hurried on over.

"Sorry sorry...I know that girl from high school," he lied to her. April could tell he was lying because he was not only new to Atlanta and the odds of a classmate being there slim but the woman at the bar looked like she was barely 21. April's date was 36.

"I see," April said and stood to shake his hand.

"No, please. Sit," he said to her and she pulled back her hand awkwardly and sat.

April learned quickly what came across as a nice man in their brief texts was truly an overly aggressive, overly inflated, self-proclaimed "women whisperer" and a braggart who hardly let her get a word in edgewise.

"So April, you're an attorney?" he asked her after talking about himself for thirty minutes.

"I took the Bar yesterday after..." she began.

"Yeah you guys go through so little schooling compared to us, don't you?" he said, more engrossed in his salad.

April agreed, doctors have to spend more time in college than attorneys, but she wouldn't call it "so little schooling". 

"I mean, yes, but I think your residency and my clerking probably are..."

"Now, I think most doctors could also become lawyers, but most lawyers couldn't ever become doctors," he cut her off again.

April couldn't believe how rude he was but was hoping this was just nerves, "I don't know. I have only met one person who did both and she was a nurse who became an attorney."

"See!" he said triumphantly, "I mean, just a damn nurse, but still...she segued easily probably. I mean...isn't a nurse just a paralegal in your world?" he kept going on, now dumping on nurses.

The date continued down that road until they got to dessert. If April had not been enjoying what she got so much and looking forward to Bananas Foster, she would've paid her portion and left.

Once the Bananas Foster came out the icing on the cake began. 

"So," he continued, "It's Valentine's in a week. I sure hope you don't expect anything from me."

April dropped her spoon and looked at him, tired of this douchebag, "No. I don't. In fact, I don't expect anything from you after this date. I would've gotten up once I saw you talking to your so-called classmate. You are nothing like you come off in text version, which is fine...this date helped me figure that out. People like you are the reason the dating game is awful."

Her date just sat there and just then his phone, which he kept on the table the entire time, started vibrating, "Hold that thought," he said to April and got up to take the call elsewhere.

With that, April pulled a waiter over, asked him to tally up her receipt and got the rest of her dessert to go. She was out the door without ever saying another word to the ER doctor and ever seeing him again.


	10. Chapter 10

After spending the entire Sunday morning in bed texting back and forth with Anita, who apologized and said she had no idea the doctor, "was such a prick outside of work," April decided to get up and get on with her day. She had to get groceries for that week and wanted to stop by her favorite coffee place, which was a little farther north from where she lived. She was elated that she had found a perfect cup of coffee finally after searching Atlanta and coming up short with either "too sweet" or "too bland" or "tastes like gas station coffee."

April threw on her leggings, which made her long legs look fabulous, an oversize top, sneakers, and a hoodie. She put her hair up in a pony and applied a bare amount of lip gloss and eye liner. She got out the door at 10am and figured she was making good time. She could get her shopping done and get her coffee, coming back home in time to relax.

Thirty minutes north of her condo was Spearman's Grocers. She walked in and immediately felt glum when she saw all the Valentine's decorations, roses, chocolates, balloons and teddy bears. She walked up to a heart-shaped box of 36 chocolates and considered buying them for herself but snapped out of it when she determined it would be very pathetic to buy herself Valentine's anything. She wished she was a stronger woman like her friend Marcie who would buy herself stuff all the time without a care in the world.

Marcie also graduated head of their class in college with the highest honors there were. She had enough confidence going for her.

April veered her shopping cart away from the Valentine's items and headed to the aisles she needed. Her mother always told her, "If you want to stay trim, only shop the perimeter, April." She was cognizant of same and pulled it off most of the time. She seldom went down the frozen aisle and grabbed a personal tub of ice cream or a danish from the bakery. After the Bananas Foster the night before and two Chardonnays, she needed to get back on track.

She piled salad mixes, salmon, berries, coffee, and quinoa into her shopping cart. She saw an endcap with nuts and selected almonds and walnuts. Egg whites were next on the list as were a few feminine products. She winced when she heard an overly saccharine love song come on the overhead PA system and then someone announced, "That's right Spearman's shoppers, your significant other would love it if you headed on down to our fresh fish department and selected our catch of the day. Enjoy a candlelight dinner over lobster or perhaps a nice shrimp cocktail for an appetizer. Whatever you have planned, Spearman's is happy to assist!"

April groaned. Her last good Valentine's was with Jared a while back and if she was honest with herself, it was only so-so. Meanwhile, Anita had a longtime boyfriend taking her out for steak that following Sunday and Jessica was getting sent to be pampered at a spa by her husband. And God only knew what her spoiled sister Becky was getting from her eager-to-please husband Richard.

She checked out quickly and made the decision to stay inside on Valentine's Day next weekend. She was not in the mood to hear about it any further.

Making her way five minutes later through the parking lot to her car, she heard a whistling. She disregarded it because she was sure it was a whistle to get someone else's attention. It was the kind of call one makes to get a friend's attention or get a dog to return to them.

When the whistling continued and got closer as she unlocked her trunk, April turned. There in the parking lot, coming towards her, was Sam Orion with a bag full of his own groceries.

"Hey...April?" he said, making sure it was really her. He looked amazing in a flannel shirt unbuttoned to his sternum, dark jeans and sunglasses. He pulled the sunglasses off and April's heart skipped at his gorgeous eyes.

"Hey!" she said, "You live around here?"

Sam nodded, "Yep. Just ten or twelve minutes up the road." He came up and stood four feet from her, "Need any help?"

April started to take things from her cart and place them into the trunk, Sam didn't wait for her answer and started helping her.

"Thanks," she said.

"No problem at all," Sam said, his voice sounding like molasses over gravel. She closed the trunk and smiled, not knowing what else to say.

Sam bridged that problem for her, "You live way up here?"

April shook her head, "No. I live in Decatur. I just like going to Rawlings for coffee," she told him.

Sam nodded and was smirking.

April grinned, "What?"

Sam shook his head, "Nothing. You just look very different. Not attorney-like."

April looked at him, "You know I am an attorney?"

Sam nodded his head, "Jessica mentioned you were when we were in the mediation. Said something about you guys' regular receptionist being out and them being forced to put you up front."

"Ah," April said, relieved that he knew she didn't only answer phones and sign for deliveries. They just stood there for a moment, smiling at each other, not knowing what to say.

He had noticed April was getting food that looked very uniform for a girl in shape like she was. No meats, nothing she would cook for a man. No beer. No chips. And especially nothing remotely Valentine's-esque.

"You...um," he began and then seemed to shift what he was going to say, "...is it okay if I asked you to get coffee one of these days?" he finally asked. 

April was floored. Sam Orion was asking her out. Looking like that and seemingly not a care in the world that Valentine's Day was coming up.

April answered, "Yes...definitely..." she answered, and then felt like she was too eager. "Yes, that sounds great."

"I mean, you're not with someone, correct?" he asked.

"Is it that obvious?" she responded.

He shook his head, "Oh no, not at all. I just didn't see the typical shit...stuff...that us men like to eat."

April got it, "Oh, yeah. I am as single as they come," and then really hated her answer. She followed up so as not to let him think she was a total loser who never dated, "I went on a really bad date last night. The guy was awful...self-centered."

"There's no shortage of those types, sweetie," Sam said, "Online?"

April quickly answered, "Oh no...no. Through a friend."

"Blind?"

"Yeah."

"Shit. Yeah those are bad for anyone," Sam said.

"So yeah...no Valentine's for me," April said, being a little too honest. She was internally kicking herself for not finding her filter.

Sam looked at her, smiling in that gorgeous way of his. He then looked down into his grocery bag and pulled out a package of kiddie Valentine's cards. "My little one, Gracie is turning four very shortly. She wanted cards to pass out to my neighbor kids and other little friends she knows..." he opened the package and pulled out a card with a cartoon giraffe on it with a heart around it's neck and a tree next to it. He handed it to April.

I'D SEARCH HIGH AND LOW FOR YOU, VALENTINE!

April smiled, "Thank you, Sam," and laughed.

"Everyone needs to have a Valentine," Sam grinned at her.

They made plans to get coffee that following Wednesday. 

***

Sam drove home listening to rock and thinking about April.

Damn she is cute, he thought to himself.

April was probably five inches shorter than his six feet. Perfect height. She was in good shape - not too skinny. Curves in the right places by what he could tell from her leggings. She looked absolutely adorable in her high ponytail and minimal makeup. Her light pink lip gloss turned him on, which he didn't feel the least bit scummy for. He thought she was really cute and he loved that she seemed unassuming and yet sure of herself. A woman like her being alone on Valentine's Day? It made him think she was really independent for some reason.

Sam had hoped she was single from the moment he saw her. To tell the truth, he had been trying to think for the past four days how he'd find out more on her. He wasn't stupid; she worked at his ex's law firm and could get into trouble for going on a date. But he'd keep her away from the part of town the firm is in. If she went back and told on him to Angel's attorney, it wouldn't hurt his case. It's just a date and he's not taking any improprieties. Somehow he just knew deep inside that April was a good person.

Sam was in good spirits as he headed home. Coffee next week with a very attractive, seemingly sweet and gracious woman. 

And although he felt a little dickish about this next part, he contemplated tidying up his place. What if things went really really well?


	11. Chapter 11

April had pined all of Monday but knew she'd never be able to break away for coffee with Sam during lunch on Wednesday. Her schedule was overloaded at work and she was so eager to say yes to Sam that she hadn't suggested another day.

She was afraid he'd be turned off somehow by her asking to reschedule but realized that was just her anxiety. She had texted Sam, this god of tattoos who's personal cell she now had, and asked if they could move their meeting to maybe dinner on Friday.

SAM: How about an outing for Saturday? My daughter isn't with me this weekend and I have time to enjoy maybe a park or lunch

April was beside herself. An outing with Sam? She immediately said yes, cursed herself for her quickness but agreed in her head to stop with the games. Sam was interested in her, she was interested in him. Answering back quickly was natural.

She quickly scheduled a spa day for Friday evening at a place in town that was open until 9pm. She hated to admit it, but she needed everything waxed. April was also a grown woman; what if they had sex? Anything could happen and while she had never had sex with someone new until about a few weeks had passed, Sam was the exception. Besides, the scenarios she had already created in her own mind as she took care of her personal business at night drove her wild.

April had never once had an orgasm with a man. She only had it when she did things alone to herself. There was something about her imagination that drove her to climax, not Jared, who she honestly felt no deep connection with. They had been boyfriend and girlfriend for a long time but he never hit any of her buttons.

Since April had laid eyes on Sam in person at Sayre & Perkins, she had come home at night and tended to "lady business" as she referred to it. Of course, she never told anyone about that, she only referred to it to herself, but it helped her to feel less dirty. Yet, something she felt was inside of her that needed to be awakened to "dirty". Or someone. 

April wanted to live a little for once. She wanted to feel passion and the hot sweat of sharing an orgasm with someone. She day-dreamed about Sam and his body, the perfect cut of his waistline into his jeans, the beautiful strength of his hands as he held the tattoo "gun" in website photos. The gleam in his eye as he talked to her. He was amazing to take in and he wanted to meet up with her.

She hoped to God Sam would be as good as he looked, but knew to not get her hopes up too high. She nevertheless bought some new panties and a bra after she was done with her spa visit that Friday. Even if it had only been a one night stand she would be getting off Sam, she would want to go into it looking her best.

***

Sam was nervous and not sure why. He had been with so many women in his lifetime but April seemed different. She seemed genuine and good. This one he was interested in getting to know. She wasn't like what he normally ran into. This woman had a little something to her but he couldn't put a finger on it.

As he drove to her condo he listened to his usual rock station. He mustered up a little more courage as he listened on and realized he looked as good as he ever did. He had a light beard balm on, a black and gray flannel shirt, jeans, his most comfortable boots and looked ready to walk through a small park and eat lunch at a picnic table. It was a cool crisp Saturday - not too cold, but cool enough to wear what he had on - and the sun was shining beautifully. 

Back at April's condo she had put her hair up in a cute pony and was wearing a cute red tight sweater, skirt and had on knee-high boots. She was happy it wouldn't be windy out, just cool and refreshing. A little spot of makeup and a spritz of perfume finished her ensemble.

She waited with a huge amount of butterflies in her stomach as Sam was on the way.

She had cleaned her place, washed her sheets, put away anything that was not in it's place, including the yoga mat where she had done 100 sit-ups that morning. She was a little sore but happy as she felt she would look tight if things were to hopefully escalate.

Growing more and more antsy she decided to turn on the TV so that when he got there he didn't think she was sitting by the window. As she was changing channels to a cooking show her doorbell rang.

"Oh God," she said to herself and stood, smoothing down her skirt. 

Opening the door she saw her date standing there, aviators on, flannel shirt unbuttoned to his breastbone, dark jeans, with a slow smile crawling across his lips. She died inside he was so fucking hot!

"Oh hi there," she said, standing at the door.

Sam just grinned wider, standing there, "Hi."

Just then Anita walked out her front door to go do some shopping and she gave Sam a double take. Sam turned and said hello and Anita said it back. When Sam had turned back to April, her neighbor had gone 'wow' with her mouth to April and kept walking. April tried to not give too much away by responding to her and stood there smiling again at Sam.

"Um, do you want to leave now?" Sam finally asked, as April had not yet invited him in.

April snapped out of it, "Oh...sorry," she said embarrassed, "No...come on in, Sam."

Sam nodded and came up to her, kissing her on the cheek, "Sammy," he said to her and then walked past her into her condo.


	12. Chapter 12

Sam couldn't remember the last time he had opened a vehicle door for a lady. Maybe Vanessa? Maybe before her? April had shown him her condo and then they got into his truck to go to the park just up the road. He had opened the passenger door to his truck and let April in. He had taken in how damn good she smelled, not knowing she had thought the same about him. Now they were in his truck, this beautiful classy woman next to him as he drove down a scenic highway.

April was rapt. She was 100% certain of it now, Sam was the best looking man she had ever seen. As they talked she noticed little character items to Sam. His hair was swept back over his head and was a little longer at the base of his neck. It curled at the collar and had a faint gold tint to it. His jawline and beard were absolute perfection and he had a little bit of "neck beard" but she didn't mind it. When he smiled as he talked to her about Atlanta, South Carolina, and Gracie, she could see a faint dimple at his cheek that ran into his beard. He had nice teeth and full gorgeous lips, but not too big for a guy. His green eyes could take on a haunted look when the sunlight hit them just right and he had one brow that rose more than the other when he talked about something that made him happy.

April looked down at his right arm as he would shift gears. The sleeve to his shirt was rolled to his elbow and the musculature of his arm was gorgeous. His hands had the right amount of veining to them and his thighs looked, April thought naughtily to herself, that they could support a woman well while they were...

"Look at that, a deer," Sam said, bringing her out of it. A doe was at the side of the road watching a few cars go past.

April saw her, "Wow. I know they're here but I never see them."

"Encroachment," Sam said, "I hate it, but here we are."

April nodded and realized they were coming upon the park.

***

Sam and April spent four hours sitting at a picnic table eating food they both brought to share. Although the park rules didn't allow alcohol, Sam brought some beers for them stuck in a metal canister.

Sam was incredibly easy to talk to and this surprised April. He listened to her, didn't boast, expressed concern when she talked about the heavier things in her life (law career, getting used to Atlanta). She found herself talking more about himself and Sam just listening with full attention. He would smile sometimes, his head in his hand when he looked at her and she was incredibly turned on by this.

"...And so, I feel like I don't fit in exactly with Mallory and her firm," April said, moving her fork in a slice of cheesecake she had cut earlier.

"Yeah?" Sam said, just looking at her with that way, "But you're okay. You're you. You don't need their approval."

April smiled, "I mean, I do but not on a personal level."

"That's what I mean sweetie."

She nodded and they just looked at each other for a moment. It had been four hours of instant connecting. He was nothing like she thought he would be. She was almost expecting someone a little full of themselves but he showed none of that. In fact, that was "just my job" as he put it, all the styling and work on himself. April felt the same about her profession in a way.

Sam sighed, "Well, do you want to go down to the river and look at it some? It's going to be dark in a few hours and they will be closing," he said. He always took Gracie to this park to watch people fly kites. The kite fliers had left once the sun started to dip.

"Sure," she said, "I want to see what it looks like."

They left their food and Sam took her hand, making her heart race. His hand felt warm, steady and strong.

Taking a trail comprised of red Georgia clay they made their way to the river that many singers had written about. The pine trees soared and you could hear birds and squirrels carrying on alerting each other to Sam and April's presence. 

As soon as they got to the river bank Sam asked her, "Can I kiss you?"

April turned to him and fell directly into a kiss, not saying a word to him. She heard his breath inhale with a mix of relief and desire and he grasped the back of her head with one hand, the other arm going around her. Her hands went to his chest and felt how granite solid it was. The taste of him was salty and warm and his beard smelled like Heaven.

April felt her sex begin to pulse and she gasped a little. Sam breathed hitched into her mouth and said, "Do you want to leave here as badly as I do?"

"God yes."


	13. Chapter 13

April was not being herself in that she was finally letting go of anything and everything. Once they got into Sam's truck he swiftly and effortlessly pulled her over to him and he started kissing her passionately as he backed his truck out of a parking space. She could hear the gravel flying and when their lips parted and she sat closely next to him. He reached between her legs and changed gears. It was sexy as hell and April was pulsating again.

Sam started laughing as they roared out of the park exit and down the road. April shook her head and smiled. 

As they drove Sam would kiss her and hold her close. It wasn't lecherous or uncomfortable. They were both feeling the same heat and were about to explode.

April felt the pangs of orgasm with all this excitement but she pushed it down. She was amazed as the only way to get this feeling before was to touch herself. Here, Sam was just turning her on. She had to keep herself from ruining it and releasing in his truck, although Sam would've probably loved that.

April rubbed her left land over Sam's thigh and shock escaped her lips; he was incredibly aroused and he felt huge.

Sam breathed into her ear as he took a hard right to race down the main road to her condo, "Don't touch it too much, darlin', unless you want me losing this in my truck," he then laughed.

April nudged her head in the crook of his neck and he continued racing down the road.  
When they got to her condo, she fumbled with the keys and finally unlocked the door. Sam shut the door behind her and they both voraciously attacked each other, her leg hitched up at his waist, and his arm going down to hold it. They melded to one another at their lips and chests and Sam lifted her a little to where the cleft of her now damp panties met his erection. "God, girl...." he breathed into her mouth, "let's get you to bed."

Sam and April tore each others' clothes off. He took in her body for a moment and she did the same to him. Her breasts looked magnificent in her lacy red bra. Sam's body looked like a road map set across muscle. When April took off her panties, Sam pulled off his boxer briefs and April's mouth fell open.

"Oh my God," she said and stopped.

There before her was a nicely-endowed Sam. April slowly looked up at him.

"You're....um..." she said.

Sam was eight inches but - some women were not used to this. 

April touched it, the tip wet with fluid. She looked up at him and Sam worried she thought him too much. No one had ever had a problem before.

"You're amazing," she said and Sam smiled. 

"I do what I can," he said.

***

Sam and April made love for hours. April had laughed out with joy a few times when she came, the first time she had ever had an orgasm with a man inside her. Sam spread her out, filled her completely and made her ache like never before.

He took her himself the first time, pushing down hard on her clitoris and smiling when she came loudly. Then he took her from behind as they lay on their sides, his cock slamming into her and her hand twisting the bed sheets. He came hard behind her, a growl reaching her ear as he bit it lightly. She could feel the sweat of his body against her back now and he breathed, "More....baby more..." She then rode him, letting go even more than she ever had, grinding hard into him as she cried out the hardest orgasm she'd ever felt in her life. Sam rubbed her breasts loving her hard nipples, his eyes shining with amazement at seeing her orgasm face. Sam sat up against the headboard and had her ride him again, but told her, "Go slow...slow..."

He loved making April cum. He always let his partner go first, but this girl...it gave him chills watching her wear herself out, spent, and starting to glow. He also noticed her pussy would flush super pink and her clitoris would turn into a swollen slick bud when she came. It turned him on so hard he almost lost it earlier than he had planned. Not that Sam was a counting man, but April lost herself eight times and Sam five. She was multi-orgasmic and Sam was loving it.

"Hhhhhh....hhhhh...." April was riding him, "Sammmy..."

"Yeah, girl..."

"I think....I think I'm gonna cum again....Oh God..."

Sam watched a bead of sweat run down her temple to her cheek.

"Yeah? You think you will?"

"Yeah."

"You had better. Come on girl..." he said and bounced her a little on his lap, "...let go...you said you want to let go..."

April felt an ache coming up her walls. It was sweet and tightening and tickling all at once. She opened her eyes and put her forehead to Sam's. He rolled his forehead a little to hers and gritted his teeth, "Come on....come on.... _April_....let's cum together..." 

She lost it and once Sam felt her starting to contract on him he moaned deeply. April cried out and rolled her sex hard into him, his fingers digging deeply into her ass.

Sam sounded animalistic and unhinged, his dark body stiffening as his output flowed from him to April.

"Gah....." he said finally, after several seconds of release. April's heart was racing and she was nearly out of breath.

She collapsed onto Sam and he slowly accumulated the last bit of strength he had to pull them both onto the mattress to fall asleep.


	14. Chapter 14

April woke from what was only a two hour sleep and looked over to see Sam still next to her. He was sleeping softly on his back, a hand gently resting on his rising and falling chest. She turned and watched him for a moment, taking in the vision that he was.

 _She had Sam Orion in her bed_. It wasn't a dream, wasn't a fantasy...it was real life. 

The tattoos that she nearly memorized from seeing so many photos were now in front of her. The bed sheet was barely covering the base of his cock and she took in all the art across his body. He had a few female names on him and a good attempt to cover up what looked like 'Angel' by changing it to 'Angelic' and a little likeness of Gracie next to it as an angel playing a harp. She scanned the rest of his body...Gracie Baby, Eleanor Rose, Vanessa...she knew who Gracie was an learned about Eleanor earlier that day at the park. That was Sam's late mother. She didn't know who Vanessa was and conjectured this was either another family member or a former lover. He had so many different tattoos devoted to all sorts of subject matter - Irish heritage, NYC, a band he loved, animals, Day of the Dead...it went on and on. He was a walking scrapbook of sorts and some of it ran together well and some did not. Sam had told her there were many tattoos he regretted but felt he wanted to take his life with him wherever he went.

Sam stirred and then woke, turning to face April.

"Hello, darlin'," he said and smiled at her.

"Hi, Sammy," she said. His eyes were beautiful when they were sleep-heavy. True bedroom eyes.

He looked past her and saw the time on the clock on her dresser and grinned, "Well, I have nowhere I need to be tomorrow morning...but if you need me to clear out I will," he said.

April shook her head, her long brown hair splayed across the pillow. Sam started to play with it with the hand that wasn't rested against his cheek.

"I want you here all weekend," she said.

"Good," he said softly, "Because I am having a good time."

"So am I."

"Are you?" he teased.

"Uh, yeah, Sammy."

"Yeah, it seemed that way earlier," he poked.

April snickered, "I think I'm going to be sore, actually."

Sam sighed and looked pleased. April sat up a little and knocked him in the arm and he started laughing.

"Sorry, sweetie. I guess I am a little proud to hear that. It's the pig in me."

April laid back down and snuggled closer to him. She ran her fingers against his jawline and beard, "You have the most beautiful red whiskers," she said, "Like copper."

"Only in my beard," he said, making April look up at his hair. It had a brown-blonde to it but she could also see some faint red.

Sam continued, "You. Honey. Are a very lovely woman."

April's heart skipped a beat. Her first instinct was to question it, but she thought better of it and pushed it down, "Thank you, Sammy," she responded.

"I gotta admit, when I first saw you I said, 'Please let her be available'."

"Really?"

"Hell yeah. You have a sweet face and you're very beautiful," he continued on.

Now April started to wonder what he was on. A man this gorgeous had to have been with women who made her look boring. "I probably look like a lot of women in Atlanta...a dime a dozen in New York."

Sam shrugged, "Sure, there's lots of pretty gals here and there. But I'm not talking to them," and his green eyes looked deep into hers.

She blinked, "True."

***

April fell asleep so securely in Sam's arms it felt like they were made for each other. She only felt him shift out from under her in the night and him kiss her lips softly apologizing, "My arm was falling asleep, sorry baby." He went into spooning her, his chest breathing deeply against her back. She was in Heaven and mouthed a little thank you to whoever was there upstairs. Sam couldn't have heard that but his arm held her closer after she did that.  


  


She woke to someone cooking breakfast and was thankful she had recently grocery shopped. Coffee and bacon were two scents she picked up. She also heard a bit of the morning news.

Slowly rising out of bed she walked nakedly to the bathroom, took care of her business and put on a pink robe, her hair messily up in a hairclip.

Sam was wearing his same shirt from last night but it was only closed with one button. She saw he was wearing that with his boxer briefs. She dug the fact that the shirt was buttoned haphazardly and she could tell he just threw something on to cook.

He winked at her and then did a double-take at her hair, "Wow, I love the bedroom hair," he told her.

April grinned and sat down at her kitchen table. Sam brought her a coffee, "Sorry to just get into your kitchen, but I can't sleep late...any cream and sugar?"

"Both," she said and Sam went to her fridge to get the cream. He grabbed that and the sugar and returned to the table as the food kept cooking.

"Since I opened my own shop I never slept in past 8 am again," he told her.

"That's a bummer, Sammy. Even on weekends?"

"Even on the weekends. Got used to Gracie getting up at 6:30 for cartoons."

"They still have those things?" April laughed, pouring her creamer in.

"They have even more shows. And with more annoying characters than you could ever believe," Sam laughed, "And not only that, your child will want the toys associated with said cartoons...I can't bring Gracie into the store without her seeing something."

"Man," April laughed, and took a sip of coffee, "But I remember those days. I wanted all kinds of dolls."

Sam nodded and got up and started looking in the cabinets for the dishes.

"Other side of the stove," April told him, "I wish my parents had kept all that stuff, though. Could be worth some money."

"No doubt," Sam said. He took the plates and started dishing omelets out of the pan he had on the stove.

"Ooh," April said as he came to the table with the omelets and bacon, "Glad to see someone is using the spinach and tomatoes I had sitting up there."

"You have a lot of omelet ingredients, actually," Sam said.

April had remembered Sam's mention during their long talk at the park that he loved to cook. This was good because April hated cooking.

She took a bite of Sam's omelet, which was very good and much more flavorful than tomatoes, eggs, cheese, and spinach. She could taste almost a Tex Mex flavoring to it.

"Jesus, Sammy...what did you find in my pantry...this is awesome," she said.

"Um, you DO know you have a few Spanish seasonings in there?" he laughed, pointing over his shoulder at the pantry.

"My mom gave me some stuff, yeah," April embarrassingly said.

Sam shook his head, "I guess I need to show you a few things, sweetie." He smiled at her and winked again, going to take a bite of his food.

"Like last night?" April said, biting her lower lip and making Sam stop what he was doing.

Sam breathed in and out and looked at her, "My God I hope to show you more of _that_...and soon."


	15. Chapter 15

April was washing dishes at the sink after breakfast and Sam came up behind her, his hands snaking down her arms and into the warm water. April felt her sex immediately respond as his fingers intertwined with hers in the suds.

"Are you still sore?" he breathed into her ear.

She closed her eyes and her head relaxed against him as he softly caressed her hands, "Sammy...if you're really gentle..."

"Oh sweetie I can be _so so_ gentle..."

"Yeah, Sammy?"

"Yeah."

Minutes later April found herself laying on her bed, Sam hovering over her, looking into her eyes. She ran her fingers into his beard and pulled him closer in for a deep kiss. Sam's hand found it's way into her robe and he grinned. She wasn't wearing anything under it and so he started to rub her cleft.

A whine escaped April's lips and Sam said to her, kissing her at the same time, "You taste so good, April..."

And with that, while his eyes were still on hers, undid her robe, displaying her naked body. April would normally want to cover up as she had not showered yet but with Sam she felt strange...like she was incredibly desired and sexy. While she was aware of her own beauty, she would still find herself challenged by her own second thoughts like women sometimes had. Sam made her feel different and it was good. 

Sam licked down her stomach, his tongue stopping to lick around her navel. April started to move her hips as she was getting more and more turned on. Sam then continued down farther below and licked and bit at her hips.

"You have..." he said muffled, "The most amazing flat tummy..." and he kept going down farther to her sex which was warm and wet now.

April had not bathed but Sam did not care one bit and his tongue lapped up at her cleft.

"Oh God..." she moaned and dug her fingers into his hair, "...Sammy....I can't..."

"Can't what?" he said, "Can't what, babygirl?"

"Ohhh....I can't take what you're about to.....do..."

"You mean eat you out?" he said huskily and April whimpered.

He was smirking at her and then got down lower and spread her lips with his fingers, his tongue then going to her slick bud.

"Oh, Sammehh...."

Sam was now taking long laps with his tongue all the while he had two fingers curled and inside her. April was losing her mind and grinding her ass hard into the mattress. Sam knew exactly how to make her yelp, twist, and cry out as he played with her and savored her. Her G spot had terrific pressure from his fingers and her clitoris was being focused on like never before. All the while deep set green eyes were focused up at her, an incredibly naughty look to them. His beard was abrasive but in a deliciously painful way and his thick lips were just as good as they were at kissing her mouth as they were at this. April started coming undone and climaxing.

"SAMMY!" she cried and her output pulled forth. Sam was making her body respond in ways she had only read about in women's magazines. She was so wet that she at first thought she peeing.

"Goddamn..." he breathed and continued lapping her up, "Yesss..."

April's back arched and she let out a final moan.

  


Once Sam saw she was resting he came back up and lay next to her. He had not had a woman squirt on him while he ate her out since his previous love, Vanessa. He was used to it happening when he was inside them or fucking them in the ass. This turned him on so much and he was so damn hard but he didn't want to bother April with more sex. He had just wanted her to feel good and he was dying to taste her. He got both wishes and now he was staring at her gorgeous profile as she rested.

She had a perky cute nose and full pink lips. Her thick lashes fell softly against her face as she slept. She had dark brown eyebrows that matched her chocolate hair and the faintest of faint pink cheeks. She had skin with only a hint of a tan to it, maybe from days spent at the beach in Carolina. He could tell she came from money with the things he told her...so maybe it was on a yacht or large boat where she would sit with friends and drink mimosas. He could imagine a tan from that.

No, she didn't lay in a tanning bed like most of the girls he had been with. Not that there was anything wrong with that, but he could tell she was simple beauty. Although he did see she waxed recently and wondered if it had been for him. He felt good that she did something like that. He appreciated it but wouldn't have also cared if she had not. 

Fact of the matter is April was really something else. Sam liked that she didn't have airs to her. She liked to watch nerdy shows, liked to read, liked to picnic, was open-minded to people of different cultures, tried to not judge people too harshly, and best of all let herself go when with him. Sam had a way of bringing that out of people, but April seemed sweet and the openness only needed a tiny bit of coaxing. Shana had been like that too - she was raised to keep her guard up but when Shana met and befriended Sam, he had her relax with him. Kyle, too. Kyle didn't have to be the dudebro he normally was around Sam. Just be a horndog like you normally are Kyle but admit you need to respect the ladies more.

That brought up something else. He wanted her to meet the gang but knew he needed to pace himself. They just had their first date yesterday. He needed to go slow, except he was just so darn refreshed by April. He had known A LOT of women and only a handful were really as cool as she was. He knew too many party girls, airheads, and plain flat bitches. It seemed he could never mix beauty and goodness except with a few women. A lot of women would've been surprised to know just how little beauty did matter to Sam but when he had both laying in the bed next to him, well it was all too wonderful.

Sam had learned to respect women from seeing what happened to his mom Eleanor. She had to carrying 2-3 jobs as a single mother to two boys in low income Cleveland. Sam's dad just fucked off to parts unknown at first and then come to find out later started a whole new family. Sam saw his mother weep too many times, get fired for not sleeping with the boss more often than not, and have to work herself into eventual cancer in order to keep their small house. While Sam enjoyed women's bodies, he always let the ones he didn't want to fall in love with know he was just there for the fun. He didn't want to see other women get promised things and not be able to deliver. Plus, he knew most women just wanted to fuck Sam Orion. He was cool with that, until he wasn't. Until he yearned for something more.

That something more was laying next to him, starting to smile.

"Sam...I have no idea how you did that."

"Did what?"

"Made me...gush."

"Gush?" and Sam started laughing.

"Stop!" she responded, turning to him.

He was still laughing, "Honey, it's okay to say squirt. You squirted...and quite magnificently, I might add."

"Ugh!" she responded.

Sam looked at her funny, "Why 'ugh'?"

April had to admit it was the good girl inside her that was making that comment and not how she truly felt, "Well. I guess I always thought that...squirting...only happened in porn."

"Uh huh."

"And so I always figured it was risqué." 

"Nope." 

"I know. I think it's just...I never even came close to that. Well maybe once."

Sam nodded, "With your vibe?"

April laughed, "Oh God. How did you know?"

"Because. I saw it in your bathroom when I went to change the toilet paper roll."

"Oh God! I forgot that!"

"Yep. Nestled behind the rolls. It's okay. You do what you gotta do. It's not a big deal, April."

"Yeah, it's just embarrassing to me."

"Well. It shouldn't be. Besides," and a smile started to spread across his face, '"I'm at least bigger than it."

April hit his arm and started laughing. He was right. Sam was bigger than the special vibrator she ordered online.


	16. Chapter 16

Sam and April kissed long at the front door before he needed to go that night. It was 7 pm and he had spent all weekend with her.

"God, I don't want to let go," he breathed into her lips.

"Me either," she answered.

They kept kissing softly. It felt really good to be held by Sam. His strong arms encircled and truly took her in. April felt like she could melt into his body. She slipped her hand past his flannel and felt his heartbeat and Sam kissed her forehead. It was maybe too emotionally-charged to feel his heart this early in the game but she didn't care. She just had to feel it.

"When can I see you again?" he said, looking down with his forehead to hers, feeling just as passionate about her as she him.

"Whenever. I get off at 5 pm most days," she replied.

"K. Maybe I can come over this week."

"Please do, Sammy."

"I will, darlin'," he said and slowly kissed her lips.

When they finally let go a few more minutes later and Sam was walking away to the parking lot, he turned and looked at April again saying, "God damn."

April laughed. She was barefoot and just wearing a tee and boy shorts. It was something she could never truly walk outside the house in. Sam almost walked into a bush and they both started laughing.

She stayed in the doorway until he pulled away in his truck. 

Just then Anita's door flew open.

"GIRL!" Anita said. April jumped and waved at her neighbor to come inside. Her best friend Michelle was truly the only person April had told about Sam. She was told wisely by Michelle to say NOTHING to anyone at work, which April already knew, but also keep it from Jessica. "You can never ever trust anyone," Michelle told April. Anita had texted April that Sunday morning "Congrats, I see his truck is still here" after she put two and two together. So now April hurried Anita into her place to tell her everything.

As they drank some chai tea April prepared, "Girl, I am so happy today is my day off. I need to hear about this! That man is SEXY!"

April laughed. While Anita had a boyfriend she "kept her options open". Her man Darryl was not hitting all the marks and Anita was eager to hear how April landed Sam.

"I was in the right place at the right time," April told her, "He came to my office for a mediation and boom. I could have never foretold that he would've liked me."

Anita sat back, "Why not? You're really pretty, good job, keep in shape, and are very nice. You're the whole kit and caboodle."

April knew she had her life mostly together, but hot men also didn't always care. They were also usually very shallow, in her experience. Sam was seasoned from hard living and eager to find someone good. She knew that made him different. While he was hot and realized it, he apparently didn't let that get the best of him or ruin his good nature.

"Well, I have to head back. If Sammy has a sexy brother or cousin, send him my way," Anita said after thirty minutes at April's. April laughed, "You don't want his brother...he apparently looks nothing like Sam and is really religious." Anita looked surprised, "How?...nevermind" and they both laughed. 

***

Sam got back to his place and flipped on the lights. He hadn't been home since Saturday afternoon and his place felt cold. There was no April in it.

"Wow," he said reflecting back on one particular moment from their weekend. April was losing her mind on him, leaned back as she was grinding on him. He loved the vision of her glorious breasts in the air and her hands to her head, crying out. He could feel her contractions down his shaft and it was making him harden even there alone in his kitchen.

He got to his fridge, reached inside and got an imported beer. He popped the top off with his thumb and went to go sit on the couch.

"April, April, April," he said to himself and sat down. 

He could still smell her on his clothes. Whatever perfume she wore smelled sweet like cookies or candy. She was delicious and the musk of her sex drove him wild. 

He was going to have to do something. He couldn't be away from her. He almost needed to dive into her but it was all too much. Knowing he had to take things slow he calmed himself. 

He had not been this attracted physically, mentally, emotionally...and even spiritually to a woman since 'Nessa. That was about seven years ago when they last were an item. Angel had made him realize lust alone meant shit to him. He needed a real woman. Someone he could look into the eyes of and see their future, see her heart. With Vanessa he could do that. Until he couldn't. Until she broke things off. He was sent out into the world alone because Vanessa had wanted her career.

This shook him a little. April was a burgeoning attorney. She would want her career, too. Long hours at a firm, late nights pouring over legal documents. He wondered how much this would get in the way of their relationship. Course, he couldn't just put that on her. He had a healthy tattoo business that needed constant attention. While he trained Evan to one day take over, he knew it wouldn't be for a long time.

Sam knew he had to be accepting of what April wanted to do but at the same time he prayed she wouldn't turn out like Vanessa. His heart cleaved and bled out after Vanessa. So badly that he had turned to hard drugs and fast living. When he met Angel things slowed down, shockingly. He meets a stripper and things slow. That's how bad his life had been between Vanessa and Angel.

The entire time he was with Angel he knew it wouldn't last. And when she got pregnant he drove to his office and alone he put his fist through the drywall, busting a huge hole in his office wall. He covered the thing with a picture and went back home. Little did he know he would fall head over heels in love with a little girl many months later. Gracie was everything in the world to him and thankfully resembled him completely.

No, he would be patient with April and support her, if their relationship were to take off. Judging by how well things went on their first date he'd say they were headed for something strong. Maybe too strong too quick, but both of them were yearning so hard to find someone. April's ex Jared sounded like a giant dickhead, if Sam was being honest. The kind of guy who'd spill his beer on Sam at a dive bar and then drunkenly insult Sam for his ruffian looks. Sam had been referred to as a pirate, trucker, Viking, biker...any kind of stereotypical bullshit by little turds like Jared. Sam stopped fighting people many years prior because he knew that if he popped someone like this, he'd easily dislocate their jaw.

Sam was calmer now. He needed to be as a role model for his employees. Never resort to violence unless it's in self defense. That was his mantra. He had gotten in too many prison fights to know that in the outside world he'd kill someone and he needn't do that. Unless it was for Gracie. For his daughter he'd do anything, including ride through hell.

He checked his cell phone that he had avoided all weekend. He had kept it on, but unless it was from Angel regarding Gracie, he cared little. 

EVAN: Do you need me to order more ink?  
KYLE: Hey bud I know your bz but do you want me to hook you up with some Lava Sweet? Chad has more of it. And Runtz?  
EVAN: Sammy, I made up your mind for you and bought more ink. The shipment gets here in a week. Enjoy your weekend  
LESLIE: Do you know if that cunt Celia is coming in next week? Shan's dumbass can't remember and you know I hate tattooing her. YOU KNOW THIS SAM  
Customer: Hello, I got your cell number from a mutual friend Miranda. I am interested in getting a family crest. I'll send you the attachment. I was looking for a price on it and how soon I can get in. I know it's months but was just wondering  
SHANABANANA: Sammy Leslie keeps blowing op my ph over some Cecelia lady. I was in the store and she blew me up. I was at Rawlings and she blew up again. So over Leslie. I just don't know. I mean I know she's good but she's mean to me  
LESLIE: Shana is ignoring me. She's a little twit, Sam. But she's your charity case.

Sam steamed at Leslie. Was happy Evan made a decision for once. Needed everything Kyle said but didn't feel like answering him because it would start off a 30 minute round of responses. Wanted Shana to stand up to Leslie. And knows Miranda, a good friend of his, needed to stop giving customers his personal cell.

There were various other texts from the same people and he just wanted to walk out back, stand by the pool and chuck it into the deep end.

He put his head back and started to try and relax and just then a text came through. He was about to get really angry until he saw who it was.

APRIL: I had a really wonderful weekend. Thank you again for everything and hope to see you soon :)

Sam felt his cock twitch a bit and smiled. This woman had him already. The very notion of her made his body respond.

SAM: Aww hunny..I enjoyed it too.. everything. I want to see u right now but know we have our jobs

APRIL: I know. Work is terrible, isn't it? 

SAM: It sure is..


	17. Chapter 17

Sam and April couldn't even allow one day to pass. She was running up the steps of his house that Monday evening after work as he leaned in the doorway.

When she got to the doorway she leapt up in his arms and started kissing him. Sam carried her, their lips attached and her thighs around his waist to the bedroom. April could barely take in his magnificent home as he walked them down the hall. He kicked open the door and laid her on the bed. Fumbling through their clothes they almost removed them except Sam was so eager to slam into her that his jeans were partially on.

April cried out, her breasts pulled out and over her bra cups as Sam started fucking her.

He was going incredibly hard, as he reared up on his hands. April felt up and down his arms as she lay on his comforter, her legs hooked behind his back. Sam seethed as he pumped her and only moments later he was cumming hard, April shrieking as her orgasm ripped through her body.

"Fuck, how I wanted you," Sam breathed as he finally slowed down.

"Sam," she softly said as he collapsed on her. He was on his stomach, she on her back with his arm across her torso. He had his head turned to her and was breathing softly.

He finally said after a minute or so, "I've never..."

April said, "Hmmm..."

"...wanted someone so badly."

April's heart burst. Again she was tickled pink that Sam Orion was responding this way. It was pure fantasy come true.

The irony was Angel visited their offices that Monday morning to just bitch and complain to Mallory about Sam having the upper hand. April sat back in her office smiling, crossing her thighs as she tingled thinking about how amazing it felt to have this very same Sam deep in her, making her come undone. April bit her lip and held onto a stress ball at her desk and envisioned Sam's neck and chest, covered in slick sweat as he thrust deeply into her. She covered her mouth as she giggled for a moment, hoping no one heard her. Had they, she would've claimed a friend sent her a funny meme.

She heard Mallory tell Angel that they're working as best they can on some case law research and she would keep Angel in touch. Angel huffed and left Mallory's office. April was beside herself. Not only would this mean-hearted woman never find anything good, but she would continue to be put out by Sam being ahead of the game. April had heard it all about Angel that past Saturday. She finally knew the full story on the woman.

Now that April was laying next to Sam, she wanted to tell him about Angel's visit but knew she needed to maintain an air of him not knowing, unless it was something devastating. She knew good and well if Mallory were to find out she was getting her brains fucked out by Sam, she would fire her and bring up an ethics complaint. April had to keep silent both ways. Only if she learned that Angel had a good enough plan to take Gracie would she divulge something to Sam.

Sam shifted next to her and then smiled, "So nice to see you again."

April kissed him softly, "It's only been 24 hours, but it felt like a month."

"Yeah. Did you bring your overnight bag?"

"Yep."

"For a week?"

"Yep."

"Good. I plan on wearing you out," Sam smiled.

April nodded, "Same here."

  
It was 10 pm and Sam and April showered together. She was so tired from the workday that she just put her arms around Sam and rested against his chest for a moment as the water poured on them. Sam knew she had a very cerebral type job and wasn't about to push her to make love in the shower, no matter badly he wanted it. He washed her hair and put in as much conditioner as she directed. He just wanted her to feel good after a long day and his own neck wasn't acting up too badly.

After the shower they lay in bed softly talking about their day, April leaving out the Angel visit. Sam had told her everything she ever cared to know about running a successful tattoo studio. April told him about some of the silly clients who come in for family law matters. April found herself drifting off to Sam talking about how hard it is to tattoo things in white, yellow, and pink. 

***

Angel paced back and forth in Toney's den at their spacious home. 

"You know there's more to Sam's past that you're not telling me, Toney!"

Toney sat in his leather recliner reading the newspaper. He was insufferably into reading the newspaper like an old man, Angel always thought.

"Are you even listening to me?!"

Toney looked up and said, "Cálmate!"

"No! I won't calm the fuck down! You knew him many years ago...since that maricón got out of prison! You know shit on him, Toney, and I want all the fucking details!"

Toney eyed her, "You do realize anything I know about Sam would also implicate me. And is also so hard to prove it doesn't even matter!"

Angel looked at him, "Aha! So you DO know something....what's hard to prove?"

He questioned her, "So you don't care if I get into trouble...you just want some intelligence on Sammy, heh?"

She kept pacing. She was so obsessed with ruining Sam that she was not taking certain things into account. It could ruin Toney and therefore her chances at keeping Gracie 24/7.

She also had to admit there was more to all this than just revenge.

Angel wanted Sam still. She was preoccupied with him nearly all the time. Unbeknownst to Toney, she kept a shirt of Sam's that still smelled of him. She also had a box video stashed away that she took of her and Sam fucking. It still made her cream to think of their lovemaking. Hagamos el amor, Sammy... _por favor_. 

Sam couldn't and wouldn't ever see her like he did that puta feo Vanessa Ramirez. He knew Sam longed for her, contacted her, wanted her. Angel could never measure up to Vanessa. She had even planned to find Vanessa and tear her ass up but she let it go when she knew how wealthy Vanessa had become with her boutique. Angel would've been sued into kingdom come. 

Of course that dried up bitch Vanessa couldn't give Sam a baby. There was no way Vanessa had not tried to entrap Sam that whole time. Angel got him and got him good. Had a baby that looked just like him, too. Red hair and those devilish green eyes. Those eerie haunted fucking eyes were handed down to Gracie. Sam had ojos de diablo and their daughter had inherited it. When Angel would send Gracie to her room after acting up the little girl would glare at her and she was sure she was spiting her. Toney would tell her that was silly. As much as she loved Gracie, Angel knew she was Sam's daughter through and through.

Angel had to find some way to get at Sam. It turned her on so much to see him angry. All that heat and fire. She loved to piss Sam off, had always loved to push him. She wanted to see him turn on her and grip her throat like he once did when she went too far. Fuck me, Sammy, fuck me, papi.

She had to find out what Sam was up to. His new lawyer had argued some good bullshit angle and nearly got all the work her lawyer had done virtually reversed. They had been left reeling in that last meeting. Gracie was going to go see Sam even more now and the money meter had not moved. Sam had plans to send Gracie to fine schools in Atlanta and other hogwash. Plus, his record was off limits due to ten years having passed. It was going bye-bye.

She said the hell with Toney helping her and turned on her heel to go to her room. She was going to spy on Sam, see what dirt she could dig up and she knew just the investigator to do it.


	18. Chapter 18

Now that April had passed the Bar she was going to have to interview for an attorney's position formally with Sayre & Perkins. It would not be easy, that April knew. Mallory was already loading her up with cases to go over and pleadings to review. Thankfully she never approached April to review anything concerning the Collier v. O'Brien case. It would put her in a situation that would cause her to potentially lose her job and license. She had no idea how she would choose between Sam and her future, yet knew deep down she would choose Sam.

Sure, she had looked at that particular case file just once but she learned the system doesn't keep track of who accessed it. As far as her workplace was concerned, Sam was just a person who showed up once for a mediation. Still, she was extra careful to keep anything about her new private life with Sam a secret. No one knew anything except her best friend and her neighbor. April was even careful to make sure that when she and Sam ventured out once that week together for dinner, it was clear over on Sam's side of town. 

That Friday at 11 am, everything changed 

Jessica came in and sat down at April's desk. "Lord have mercy. I am going to do myself in with one of my husband's firearms."

April looked shocked, "Whoa. That is extreme," and laughed, "What happened?"

Jessica elaborated, "Fucking Angel Collier King...whatever the hell her last name is..." she rolled her eyes, "...she's been calling all day, and of course Mallory is at trial downtown. I had to listen to Angel ramble on that some investigator friend of hers...like this bitch has friends..."

April laughed and Jessica shook her head at it all, continuing, "...this investigator is tracking Sam's every move and Angel says he has some footage of Sam with a woman. Now all hell is going to break loose because Angel wants to see this woman's identity investigated."

April's face flushed hot and her stomach felt like it had just dropped. She felt a chill go up her. Sam and her had gone to dinner after work last night in a crowded restaurant near his part of town. Unless Sam was out with another woman - something that was impossible since they've been spending all non work hours together - the investigator likely had footage of her with Sam.

Jessica had not detected a change in April and kept going on, "So she wants to send me ten stupid photos that the investigator took of Sam and this mystery woman."

April just looked at her, trying to at one time understand her friend's irritation and not let on that it may be her in those photos, "That's...that's really insane. When is this happening?" April said.

"Like now. She's emailing them now. The detective is contacting her today with the woman's name. I can't believe I have to even give attention to this issue. On a Friday."

"Yeah," April said shakily.

It was then that her cell started vibrating. It was Sam.

April looked at it, Jessica not able to see the name.

"Lemme take this...It's my mom," April lied and got up to go out to her car.

Jessica said, "Sure," and figured it was some personal business.  


Angel walked out to the parking lot like her knees were about to give out at any moment. She also felt like she was going to throw up or collapse, the order not clear. She made it to her car and sat down inside, shaking.

April's voice wavered as she answered, "Hello?"

"Sweetheart," Sam continued cautiously, "Where are you?"

"At work," she said slowly, "Where are you?"

"In my truck," he said. It was lunchtime, "I'm sitting in the parking lot and..."

"Sammy?"

"Angel just texted me photos of you and I together last night at dinner. She had someone tail us, honey."

April started crying and dropped her cell phone. It was noon on a Friday and she was now stuck out in her car, tears streaming down her face, her purse still in the office, and nothing in her car to clean her face with. Her new boyfriend's horrible ex-girlfriend was getting ready to ruin her job and her life and there was nothing she could do about it.

Sam could hear April crying and he firmly gripped his steering wheel. A white hot rage was boiling inside of him at what was happening; Angel was going to ruin this poor sweet girl he just met and it was all his fucking fault.

"Darlin'..." he said, but wasn't getting through to April.

She kept crying and Sam sat there not knowing how to proceed other than to let her just cry. He knew good and well this meant hell for them both. Angel still wanted him - this he knew. It was what drove her every move. If she couldn't have Sam, then no one could. He knew Angel well enough to know she'd stop at nothing to make life miserable for the next woman he fell for. He also knew he couldn't live his life in celibacy or secret. He had to live and love, and he had to protect chose to share it all with him.

After three minutes April knew she had to answer Sam. Thankfully when she leaned down to pick her cell back up he was still there.

"S..Sammy," she said.

"Baby I'm here."

"She's going to ruin my life, isn't she?"

Sam took only a second to answer, "Not on my watch, she won't."

***

April sat in the car for thirty more minutes talking to Sam. He assured her that Angel was not going to ruin her. She could try but wouldn't get that far. April said getting her disbarred and fired was enough to destroy her and Sam was quiet for a moment, "I don't believe that, baby. So you're the only attorney in Georgia to be in this situation?" he said in disbelief "...plus, you've actually done nothing wrong."

"Sam, you don't understand. I am not supposed to associate with you at all."

Sam felt for the next couple of minutes as they talked that he would get dumped. April talked about how hard she worked for her career and how a relationship was going to jeopardize everything. Still, he let her vent and said nothing.

"Sammy...I don't regret anything with you at all," she finally told him and laughed for a second through her drying tears, "I am just upset. Upset I am in this situation because some stupid cunt can't let you go."

Sam almost laughed, "Wait...what?" he asked and held his cell closer to his ear.

"What?" April responded, rubbing her nose.

"Cunt?" Sam smiled.

April then confirmed, "Yes. Angel is a cunt."

Sam shook his head, pleased with her candor and could hear April sniffle with humor. "Sweetie. You're going to be okay. You may be done with Mallory's firm, but you're not done with being an attorney."

"You think?"

"Yep. Now go inside that building, chin up, and know that I have your back and I will see you tonight."

As April was talking to Sam still in her car she saw Jessica approach her window. The look on Jessica's face said it all. She had seen the photos.


	19. Chapter 19

Jessica brought her laptop to April's office and showed her the photos.

"Hun, I have to show Mallory," Jessica said, worried, "Please know I don't want to but there's nothing I can do. Angel is going to ask Mallory if she's seen them and what am I going to say?"

April understood fully the situation her friend was in. Jessica had a family and a mortgage. She couldn't risk not showing Mallory. In addition, Mallory would inevitably see them, Jessica's involvement or not. Now that they were in an email to Jessica, she couldn't just delete or misplace it.

"I get it, Jess. I can't expect you to hide them. I mean, yeah, Mallory is eventually going to see them."

They sat there for a second looking defeated. Jessica shut her laptop lid and looked at April, "I'm sure you're going to be let go, but honestly, you had no dealings with the case."

"Yeah but that won't matter. The firm who hired me did. How's it going to look when I'm having sex with the same man my boss is helping someone go after?"

Jessica nodded but added, "You know...this wouldn't be the first time it's happened."

April looked at her funny, "Really?"

"Really. About two years before you got here we had a paralegal run off with someone we were suing. And from what I understand she's still a paralegal."

April didn't know if she could trust that. Conflict of interest is punishable.

"Besides. Your daddy has money," Jessica leveled, "Do you really need to work?"

She shook her head. Jessica didn't understand. Having money didn't mean you sit on your duff like your own sister did. April wanted to be an attorney. She told Jessica so.

"Girl, I get it," Jessica said, "you wanted to practice law. But damn it, if I didn't have to work I sure as shit wouldn't."

April was not seeing it the same way Jessica did but nodded.

"And besides," Jessica continued, "I want you to tell me everything you can about what it's like to go to bed with Sam Orion."

***

April left work before Mallory came back. She knew her job there was over. She put her only personal items in her purse and walked out with her laptop, not saying anything. If Mallory was to fire her, she wouldn't give her the opportunity to do it in person.

April drove to Sam's not knowing what to think. It had been a week of absolute bliss with him, and she just assumed they were dating versus just hooking up, but nothing was certain. She could have very well just given up her new position at the firm for nothing. Sam could break things off next, leaving her to return to South Carolina and her parents' house. Sure, she would be welcomed back, and yes after being reprimanded by her father, everyone would get over it, but her goals in life would be unrealized. And how would she explain Sam to her parent's? Just leave the "oh, he's covered in tattoos" part out of it? Would she just explain that he was a businessman? She knew her sister too well; Becky would look him up and show their parents out of spite.

As she got to the highway that Sam's gravel road was off of she started to have self-defeating thoughts.

She was in tears again when she got to his house and hated that she would be a blubbering mess when he saw her.

She exited her car, took to the steps outside his house and started ascending them. Sam wasn't in the doorway when she got to the porch. Was he done with her?

April opened the front door and found Sam's place was dimly lit with candles and soft music. She could smell something Italian and garlicky was cooking in the oven. The faint scent of vanilla also hung in the air and April saw the door to Sam's bedroom was open and the room lit. She put her purse down on an end table and walked back to his bedroom. 

There was Sam standing beckoning her to come to him. She walked up and he said, "I've drawn you a warm bubble bath. I want you to get in it, relax, and in about an hour my famous chicken marsala will be done."

April nodded, trying to come down from the last several hours. 

Sam took her coat off her and said, "Now go...get in that bath."


	20. Chapter 20

Sam's chicken marsala was to die for. It was a creamy flavorful dream and the Chardonnay that he had paired with it made April descend into deep inebriation.

"You know what, Sammy?" April said, clearly intoxicated, sitting back in her chair at the dinner table, "Mallory can go eff herself. It's not my fault she has a bad client and I met a good man."

Sam was laughing. He was enjoying a drunken April and was happy she was relaxing. "Babe, say fuck...not 'eff'. Besides. You said cunt this afternoon...I enjoyed that. A lot."

April grinned, and took another sip of wine. "Sammy...you can't make me say fuck. I don't cuss."

Sam shook his head and bit down on his lower lip, "I can't make you say fuck, huh?' he teased.

"Nope. Never going to say fuck around you."

"I believe you, darlin'. You're never going to say it." He was playing with the wine stem to his glass, his fingers gliding up and down, as he took in this beautiful silly creature he had before him.

April eyed him, "I like to do that more than say it."

Sam didn't look at her immediately but nodded, smirking and looking at his wine glass, "Yep. I know." His green eyes then gazed up at her.

April got tickled and shifted in her chair.

"You know, this is probably not the time to bring this up, but I want you to stay with me, April," Sammy said to her.

She nodded and tried to be serious, "I want you to stay with me too."

Sam snickered, "Yeah. This isn't the time. Maybe when you can think clearly, sweetheart."

April agreed and then looked tired.

"And after a good night's sleep," Sam said to her, standing.

***

Saturday morning came on quickly and a hung over April turned to see Sam still sleeping next to her. She could usually take a few glasses of wine better than she had last night, but figured the added alcohol in the marsala had something to do with it.

She slid out of bed in nothing but a tank top and panties and headed to the bathroom to pee. The grip of worry started up again, as she wasn't sure what was next in the cards for her. She remembered Sam mentioning her staying with him but she didn't know what that meant. For a month? For a year? Forever? Things were moving very fast and she realized it was effortless with Sam. He was sexy, sweet, caring, and generous. As she peed she thought about the idea that he was too good to be true. 

Naw. Nagging doubts be damned. There had to be good men who weren't taken who looked as good as Sam did. There had to be, right? Men that wanted to sweep boring old her off her feet and move her in with them immediately? April was starting to wonder if there was a catch. Maybe Sam had a violent temper. Or he had a bucket of mental issues. Or he cheated as soon as things got comfortable.

April pushed these thoughts away when she wrapped up what she was doing. In all their talks over the past week, Sam just seemed like someone who was tired of games, wanted love, and just happened to be magnificently blessed with good looks. He was done with the single life and had not actually been happy with someone for almost a decade. Angel was a horrible woman and Sam just wanted something nice and sweet with a head on her shoulders. He was a very mature grounded man now and very much the opposite of the mess he claimed he was in his 20s.

Still, April felt she knew very little about him. She knew what was in the case file, what was online, and what amounted to just surface talk about his job and the fact that he was over empty affairs with women. But what made Sam tick? What was the very deepest part of his soul? 

And who was Vanessa?


	21. Chapter 21

Sam had tossed and turned that night, stressed over the situation with April. He was so angry that he could've called up Angel but he knew things would've intensified with the fight for his daughter. He almost could see something like this happening; Angel had shown up at places after their initial breakup, screaming and yelling at him and driving his date for the night away. He was sick, tired, and over anything that had to do with his ex and yet he knew he had to live his life open and freely without worry that she'd turn up.

In the week he had spent with April, he had come to learn she was the closest thing to being "the one" in a long time. Sam had a good sense about him that was honed in prison and then working in New York. He knew when someone was good and when someone was bad. April was sweet, honest, funny, and beautiful. He had to keep reminding himself that it had only been a week, but what he saw dazzled him.

They had a lot of fun together. The kind of fun he hadn't had with a woman in years. And he could talk to her and she would listen, rapt, and truly care about what he was saying. Most women gave him this sort of "I just want to fuck you" look, or if they did want him for more they were obsessive, calling him at all hours or smothering him.

The thought had occurred that he himself may be smothering April. He hoped she would not remember his question last night at the dinner table about moving in. He felt like he was falling fast but needed to pump the brakes. What was wrong with him? Was he that hungry for love? He had to be and realized it had been a decade since he was last with HER.

Vanessa Ramirez. God how he had loved her. She broke his heart so bad that he felt it part down the middle and break. 

The month after their breakup had been a drug-induced haze. He had gone all the way from their apartment in Manhattan to Phoenix, Arizona just to get her back. Sam had lost his ever-loving mind over her and had felt like a chump, but he couldn't let her go. When Vanessa wouldn't return he checked into a seedy motel, told no one where he was at and just slept with anything that was at the strip club across the street. So many women had used his body that month that he had worried he had possibly caught several STDs. Luckily, and miraculously, he had not. But he did have track marks in his arms and bloodshot eyes on the daily during that time. And if memory served him, he had sex with four women at once. 

No, he had been nearly ruined by Vanessa. They had met in his 20s at a bar in the City. She was a cute thing in a midriff-baring top and tight jeans, he not yet bearded and covered in half the tattoos he now had. She had been looking at him all that night when he decided to approach. A fight nearly ensued with a drunk Wall Street coward who insulted her, but Sam kept his cool. Vanessa had fallen head over heels that night and they speedily raced home to his loft where he had some of the best sex of his life. 

Vanessa was his sexual equal in all ways. Where he'd lead her she'd easily follow. What she wanted to do to him was already a kink of his. How she'd fuck him turned him on in ways he had never felt prior. She was everything to him inside and outside of bed.

The only problem was Sam wanted to get married and Vanessa did not. She wanted to be a fashion designer and while she was hopelessly in love with Sam, her goals came first. She was willing to let him go to chase those dreams. Sam couldn't understand why it had to be a decision of him or the career path. Why couldn't she just have both? It had never been clear to Sam and plagued him for years.

When he met Angel she had been dancing at The Carlisle, a high-end strip club in Atlanta. A pro football player was taking her back to a private room to lap dance for him and his friends, when she saw Sam walk in with some friends and she stopped dead in her tracks. Sam had never been to the club before, was not the type to frequent them (why pay for a dance when he could usually get any woman he wanted) but was there because the club owner wanted to thank him for some work he had done. Sam would take people up on business offers and not insult them - this was something he learned out of respect in prison. When Angel saw him she turned away from the football player and came up to Sam and kissed him square on the lips.

"Papi, are you here for me?" she said to him.

Everyone with Sam was loving it, the football player and his friends were ticked, and Sam ended up thinking, "Why not, sure". The rest was dysfunctional history.

Angel was an attractive woman. She was raised in the Bronx by her Puerto Rican grandmother and hardly knew her parents. Sam had a soft spot for Latinas as they were his preference and he was friends with Toney King and his family, so Angel was an easy woman to get interested in. Since Sam had just lost Vanessa a year prior, he had wanted a beautiful brunette lady to show up and make him feel love again. With Angel the first few months were fine, but he knew she wasn't hitting the mark for him. She was easily angered and hard to please. She wanted to have a stake in his studio business, as he had just opened it up. She was rude to his staff and made Shana tear up. Sam was tired of her behavior and had even called her grandmother, who was one of the nicest women on the planet, and asked her for advice. He learned Angel's mother, who died many years prior, had been just as difficult as Angel. The grandmother actually apologized and said Angel was just like her late daughter.

Sam had tried to end things with Angel but she had announced she was pregnant with their child. Sam didn't believe her. She showed him the cheap drugstore pregnancy test she had taken: Positive. He wanted a paternity test and she spat at him, telling him "there was no one else's dick she loved to ride more than his". Sam wanted to take a gun to his head and pull the trigger but he knew that his Catholic mother would've rolled in her grave. He was stuck with a terrible woman forever.

When Gracie was born she had flaming red hair and green eyes. Sam held her and immediately knew this was his child. Gracie's eyes were only slightly opened and looked at him, but he knew she probably couldn't exactly see him. She seemed comfortable in his arms and from that time on he could easily shove Angel into the background and focus on one single solitary person. 

Gracie took his heart. What Vanessa Ramirez had broken before Gracie repaired.

Things gradually got worse again with Angel to the point where Sam could no longer take it. He had broken things off finally and Angel told him he would never ever see Gracie again.

It had taken everything in Sam to not lay hands on Angel. He had never contemplated hurting a woman but she pushed him there. Instead he took it out at the local bar, getting into a fight with several men and knocking one out so hard he feared he would've been brought up on murder charges.

One thing finally led to another and Sam saw his ex-girlfriend take his daughter away to live with Toney King. Sam had hoped and prayed someone would take Angel off his hands but he was beside himself with grief that Gracie was torn from him briefly. He rage-cried and called Toney up threatening, "If anything happens to my daughter on your watch it will take forty fucking men told hold me back from coming after you." Toney, a formidable person in the crime world, was shook and yet understood his good friend was beyond upset. He promised Sam that no harm would befall Gracie.

After Angel Sam tore through clients and celebrities who came in for work like it was a contest. He was back to acting like he did before he met Vanessa and after he lost her, except there were no drugs. He couldn't do that when he had a business to run and employees to look after. He also had getting Gracie back in the forefront of his mind. When he didn't have her with him for the weekend he was cutting a swath through greater Atlanta that was as wide as the interstate, having sex with women here and there, all meaningless.

Now he was afraid he spoke too soon with April. He needed to not bring it back up when they woke up. Just let her do her own thing and be supportive. That was the way he was going to proceed.

***

April had been up before Sam and wanted to make breakfast for them. Each time Sam would beat her to it and have breakfast cooking. It was 6:43 am when she looked at the clock. Sam would be up shortly from habit. So she made her way to the kitchen and got the ingredients out for pancakes, eggs, and bacon. 

As she happily prepared everything she thought about the past week. Yes, it had been too fast. Yes, Sam seemed too perfect. Yes, she was probably overthinking things because she knew what he had been through with Angel and with empty relationships. She imagined Sam probably had a lot of sex and no relationships, which would be more honest. But she couldn't get the Vanessa tattoo out of her head. She had looked at it several times more that week and noticed tiny hearts were at the ends of the name. He had not tried to cover that up like he had Angel's. 

And how quickly did he put a woman's name on him? By all accounts Angel had been a royal bitch but he still preserved her memory on his body. It was probably done early on before her insanity kicked in. Still, he had not mentioned Vanessa and April surmised this was the person he was with long before Angel. The last good woman he had.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw a shirtless Sam wander out into the hall and into the living room, his hair a mess and him scratching his shoulder, "Hey, girl," he said, smiling sleepily, "Thanks for starting that up."

"I figured I could do some of the cooking for once. You've been too kind all week," Angel said and poured him a coffee. She also took him in. The spread of his shoulders, the powerful chest and arms, his washboard abs, and of course her favorite part at his waist was on display just for her. 

Sam came up and kissed her forehead, "I have to brush my teeth first," he said.

"Your kisses have always been fine in the morning," April said, before handing him the coffee. She leaned in and he put a soft kiss on her lips.

"Yeah but I forgot to brush last night before bed," Sam told her.

"So did I!" and they both laughed.

She realized it was all too easy and wonderful with Sam. That was why she truly wasn't afraid with him. He was just as lonely as she had been.


	22. Chapter 22

Mallory charged into work that Monday after learning from Jessica on Friday that Sam Orion had been seen with April. She had learned from Nancy that April had completely already cleared her desk out earlier that morning before Mallory got in. She had to have a meeting with her partner and make a decision about just how much of a bitch she needed to be when she fired April. She knew Angel would be out for blood and Mallory was all to happy to give it to her.

Angel had no idea who April was just yet. Mallory had to approach the subject carefully and she wanted to know just what April had been told about the case. She was planning on bringing Jessica in, grilling her, and finding out just how Sam and April met up. It had to be after that day that Orion had been in their office. No woman could keep their hands off Sam, and she was stupid if she thought April would be no different. 

Course, this did give Mallory ideas on how this may affect the case. If she could establish collusion she could possibly ruin things for Sam. It would be hard but Mallory was no stranger to destroying people and neither was her client. The only barrier would be Sam's attorney, whom Mallory knew was a good twenty years older than her and had been practicing for thirty years.

"Where's Jessica?!" she hollered when she got to her office. Beth, a legal assistant for Robert Perkins showed up in her doorway, "She went to go get the coffee."

"Why the hell did she do that?!" Mallory fired back at Beth.

Beth nervously answered, "Because April isn't here."

***

April was back at her condo on Monday. Surprisingly, Sam had not pushed the idea of her staying longer with him. He knew she needed time and to collect her thoughts on her next move. She was also having to consult with someone about what could happen to her next. An attorney friend back in South Carolina told her that while her career wasn't over, she was probably going to be fined. April protested that she had nothing to do with Sam's case and there was no proof she had. It still didn't matter. She had access to files and could have shared their contents with Sam. She could have advised him on what she heard in their office about the case. She could have prepared him unfairly.

It did no good to protest that she never did any such thing. It also did not help that she would have to explain this to her parents, who would want to know what is going on with her job. 

She made the decision to hold off on telling them. It also would be a shock to her mother and father's systems if they saw just what Sam looked like. She wouldn't be half surprised if her mom had fainted. She knew her sister would absolutely love it and relish in the fact that "April threw it all away for a bad boy tattoo artist."

Becky and her parents needed to be kept in the dark a little while longer while she sorted things out. There would be a hearing and she would be fined but she may not be disbarred. It was not becoming conduct, but there was no proof of collusion.

***

Sam was the subject matter again Monday morning at Orion Tattoos. 

"He was weird all last week," Kyle, the usual initiator of gossip, started out.

"He's fucking weird all the time, Kyle," Leslie chimed in.

"Sammy's got a girl, I tell you," Robby said, "He is private about that stuff."

"Yeah but this one must be special because we know when he's laying pipe normally," Kyle said, being gross and making Evan look at him in disgust.

"Nice, Kyle," Evan said.

"I just like seeing what trim he's getting, ya know?" Kyle continued, nodding and looking around, Robby agreeing.

"Yeah, sure. You just want to see if she would lower her standards to be with you," Leslie remarked.

"Shaddup, Lez."

"You shut up, don't call me Lez."

"Why not, Sammy does."

"Sammy worked for my dad. He can call me that because my dad did sometimes."

"I bet he did," Kyle snickered and made Robby go, "Dang."

Leslie eyed him, "You're gross, Kyle."

Sam came through the back door and everyone quieted down. He was carrying their breakfast sandwich orders and coffees. The employees heard him drop his keys on his desk and then come back down the hall towards them, his sunglasses still on his face. Shana always loved how Sam looked in those sunglasses. 

"You guys always get so quiet when I get in. What the fuck?" Sam commented, walking past them to Shana's lobby desk. He put the food and drinks down and said, "Come get it...Lez, I got you that vegan burrito you liked."

Kyle made a gesture to Leslie behind Sam's back, that said "See!" as once again Sam could just call her Lez.

Leslie narrowed her eyes at Kyle, "Thanks," she said to Sam, who nodded, not looking at her.

Sam looked at the laptop to see what clients were coming in that day and asked Shana how her weekend had been, "Good. Boring. Slept all weekend."

"You got a cold or something, Banana?" he asked her, using her nickname he always had for her.

"No, just kinda bored."

Sam looked at her and nodded. Kyle and Leslie came up for their food and they were both rolling their eyes. The one thing they could both agree on was that Sam babied Shana. Kyle saw her as someone who just needed the right dick and Leslie saw her as someone who never mentally developed past her teenage years.

"Shan, just tell Sam you were blazing one with Chris all weekend," Kyle said, making Sam turn to Shana.

"Chris?" Sam asked her. Evan was visibly irritated as he came up. He knew Kyle was just trying to start drama as Sam loathed Shana's on and off again boyfriend Chris.

"No, not really," Shana said, not looking at Sam.

"I hope not, kiddo," Sam told her, taking some tater tots out of the breakfast bag, "He doesn't deserve you and you know that."

"I know," Shana answered faintly.

Sam patted her back, "We'll talk later," he said.

The studio gang finished eating and Sam held an impromptu meeting before their clients could get in.

"First things first. InkMastr wants us to do another studio focus..." Sam began.

"Yes!" Evan and Kyle both said. Everyone else was excited as well.

"...Yep. I have to still iron out the details, but we need to make sure we present our A game and Kyle..."

"Yes, sir," Kyle answered.

"No bullshit out of you. You need to act like the President is visiting."

"That asshole?" Kyle responded.

"Kyle, I'm serious. Everyone else here, same thing. We will likely all be interviewed like the last time and I don't need Darren up in Chicago thinking we're less than. He would LOVE that shit."

Darren was a tattoo studio owner up in Illinois who loathed Sam. He was always looking for a way to undermine him and was essentially the male version of Angel.

"Man, fuck Darren. That douchebag needs to know that you're the God of Ink, Sam," Robby said.

Sam turned and nodded, "My sentiments exactly, Rob," and continued, "Secondly, there's another tattoo convention that is going to be announced in New York City. We need everyone there. I want to take on some more people because as you all know, I want to open a second studio."

"Word," Evan said and fist bumped with Sam.

"I want to bring on Orsay, he's an old friend of mine and Leslie's from back in the day a Lex's. But the other people I want to pick up from word of mouth at the convention. I don't want to steal the best people and piss my fellow studio owners off, but I want to pick people who have real talent and maybe have not been entrenched too long in a specific tattoo parlor. So we need to focus on those kinds of people."

Everyone agreed with Sam. Leslie just sat there truly not caring one way or the other. Everything was ran just fine between Sam and Evan. She was happy to see Orsay again. She just hoped Sam would maybe pick up some sexy female tattooists for once.

"Hold up, isn't Orsay gay?" Kyle asked, making Sam turn his head with irritation.

"Yes, Kyle," Sam sighed, "What is that a problem?"

"No man. I just want one last dude here picking up the ladies."

Sam shook his head and Evan threw a balled up napkin at Kyle, Robby laughing, Shana realizing how little game Kyle probably has, and Leslie going back to thinking about possibly bringing on more female artists.


	23. Chapter 23

"Ahhh...... _good girl_ ," Sam said as April started to orgasm.

She was moaning, aching and finally contracting on his cock as she was straddling him. Her eyes fluttered and her plump pink lips escaped the smallest of cries. She was wearing nothing but a tank top and Sam watched as her nipples hardened to little buds under the fabric.

"Goddd..." is all she could manage to formulate.

April felt a warm fluid run out of her and she realized she had done it again, as Sam had yet to cum. He was making her climax so hard that she found herself doing this time and again. 

Sam felt the warmth run down his balls and grinded his teeth, his eyes sparkling up at her. He loved seeing and feeling a hard driving April orgasm. It took everything in him to not turn her over, bear down on her and mount her like they were wild animals. He wanted to bite the back of her neck and hunch down on her, fucking her into oblivion.

He held back because it was too soon for that kind of depravity. He had to know just how raw April could be and that had to come with learning more about each other.

"Baby, lets get on our sides," he whispered and April came down, laying on the bed. He put his arm around her, gripping one of her breasts and he slid his already slick cock back into her. He started undulating against her his chest to her back.

April was breathing hard and he could tell eager to cum again.

"You're so fucking tight...god," Sam breathed.

"Mmm," April answered, "And you're so fucking big."

Sam closed his eyes and smiled and kept going deeper, "Naw, sweetheart...that's you...."

"Yeah?"

"Yesss...so hot, so tight....so wet..."

"Harder, Sammy..."

"Hmm? Harder you say?"

"Yes."

Sam bore down more and brought his hand up to her throat. He was making her ass slap against his thigh and it was loud.

"I'm gonna cum so hard in you, lil' mama...gonna fucking fill you up with everything I got....you hear me? Hmmm? You want me to do that?"

"Yes, Sammy, please..."

"Yes?"

"Please please."

Sam started losing his mind and emptying his seed into April. He growled and groaned, the rutting and output so good that he didn't realize he was holding her throat too tight. April pulled at his fingers and he let up, apologizing as he still throbbed and released into her.

"Sorry, baby...sorry..."

"It's okay, Sammy..."

"God, I..." he almost said I love you and stopped himself. Too soon. He didn't want to say it too soon, but he was feeling it, this orgasm was so good.

April sighed with pleasure and rubbed her clitoris with her hand, generating a smaller climax. She was love-drunk on this man and yet she felt it was just too early to admit it.

***

April's head rested on Sam's chest as his heart beat steadily against her ear. It finally slowed after some time and April watched as his cock softened against the ginger-brown hair at his groin. 

"That was good, Sammy," April remarked.

Sam laughed, "It was, baby."

"And wait...did you call me 'lil mama'?" April asked.

Sam recalled it, "Yeah. It just kinda came out."

"So funny," April told him.

"You don't mind do you?" Sam asked her.

"Not at all. I mean it was kinda earthy and sweet."

Sam smiled, "Like you," making April hold him closer.

***

April was at Sam's house again. She knew she wasn't able to remain at her condo much. Sam was too gorgeous and too much fun to be around that she had to just naturally go with what felt good. She had brought over another week's worth of clothes and was intending on researching a position at another firm. If Sam was gone all day at work it would give her time to work on this task on her laptop.

She had no idea what the future held. Maybe her and Sam would end after a whirlwind bunch of months. Maybe it would last a year and then fizzle out. Or maybe just maybe it would continue on, as she was incredibly happy in his presence.

Whatever happened, she wanted to enjoy as much time as she could get with Sam, and desired to stop overthinking it. All she knew was that right here and right now, Sam was incredible.


	24. Chapter 24

Angel had found out.

That little perky-titted brunette receptionist at her own attorney's firm was fucking her ex.

She wanted to cry and throw things in her vehicle when she learned of it. She hated admitting it but April had been very pretty and upper class. She could see Sam liking her the more she thought of it; she almost resembled Vanessa Ramirez in some ways. Angel had hated everything about Vanessa and always saw her as this perfect woman she could never live up to for Sam. It was very likely Sam was still searching for Vanessa in every woman he met, and while Angel knew Ramirez would be hard to replicate, this April girl was the closest thing. Angel had made it a habit of trying to hunt down who Sam was screwing.

She bet Sam was giving it to April good, too. That dick had been the stuff of legend...Angel had never enjoyed sex so much. Now he was likely making April's nights absolutely filled with ecstasy.

Mallory had promised Angel justice in the matter but also assured her that no breach of trust or collusion had taken place. Angel was glad to hear April had been let go, but she wanted more to happen. Mallory told her she would do all she could to make April pay for this.

Still, Angel was being driven mad. She knew April was probably enjoying Sam in as many ways as Angel once did. She visualized April riding Sam and it made her sick. 

She had to find out more and she would go to the ends of the earth to end Sam and April's happiness, if she had to.

***

"The lines of your body are beautiful," Sam said to April as she got dressed after a shower. They were going to head out for a nice romantic dinner.

"Thank you," April said, as she pulled up black lacy panties.

Sam's mouth opened slightly as he sat in a chair in his bed room, putting on his dress shoes. This was a fancy restaurant in Atlanta at the top of a five star hotel. They had to dress nice.

April then put on an equally lacy black bra and her breasts shook as she adjusted the cups. Sam loved April's breasts and had feasted on them earlier. They looked absolutely gorgeous in the black sheer lace.

"Hmm, I can't wait to see your dress for tonight," he smiled.

April walked to the closet where she had hung an LBD earlier and brought it out, "I think you'll like it," she teased.

Her hair was freshly rolled and lush and bounced as she walked. Her lips were subtle but her eyes had dark liner and shadow. She also smelled amazing. Sam was in love.

April went to put on the dress and needed Sam's help zipping it up in back. She held up her hair and he rose, his white shirt unbuttoned, black pants on and an untied tie hanging around his neck. His chest looked amazing and dark in contrast to the white shirt. April saw him approach her in the mirror and he looked back at her grinning as he zipped her up and then leaned in to plant a soft kiss on the back of her neck.

"Thank you, Sammy."

"My pleasure. You both look and smell goddamned amazing."

April turned and smoothed his chest with her hands, then ran them down his sides and over his low back to his ass. She held onto it, taking a handful, "That makes two of us."


	25. Chapter 25

One month later.

"When do we get to meet her?" Shana asked Sam one morning as she stood out behind the studio while Sam took a drag of a cigarette. His eyes narrowed as he took his drag and then smoke trailed out of his nose. He always looked sexy when he smoked, especially wearing a black shirt with the top three unbuttoned, that hint of beautiful chest that he had.

"Meet whom, Banana?" he asked, looking out past the parking lot at a car driving past. 

Shana shook her head. He knew 'whom'. "April. Your lady?"

Sam grinned for a second, still watching traffic. A crease on his cheek deepened and Shana loved that, too. He was so handsome it was thrilling to just look at him. "Maybe sometime soon. Not rushin' it."

"Not rushing what?" Evan asked, coming out the back door of the studio.

"Sammy thinks after God-only-knows how long, it's too soon for us to meet April," Shana said, rolling her eyes.

"Really, Sammy?" Evan asked, bumming a cigarette off Sam. Neither one of them smoked often but they were facing a busy month with press for the convention and having to get ready to be there in three months. 

Sam shook his head, "Guys, I just want to keep my private life private for as long as I can."

"But it's us, Sam," Evan kept on. He leaned in for Sam's lighter.

"Yes, I know, Ev. You guys will be the first to meet her. I just have to keep things quiet for a little bit longer. Too many people I know are friends with Toney King."

"And therefore Angel," Shana reasoned. "I wish she would just go."

"She's got my child, Banana. Until Paul gets this custody thing wrapped up I want to keep things steady."

Shana and Evan understood. Angel had made a huge stink about April and Sam being together. She had gotten April fired but luckily the Georgia Bar was lenient with April. Her dad knew a lot of people and plus, no wrongdoing had truly taken place. April had not affected either side of the Collier v. O'Brien case at all. Angel had been wild with anger once she realized Sam was with another woman and had tried to get Gracie permanently taken away but was unsuccessful.

As for April and her family - her mother had reacted just as April had imagined. She was shocked that April would be with such a man. "Is this some kind of Period you're going through?" her mother had questioned her. April had told her time and again that no, it was not. Despite Sam being covered in tattoos and an ex-con he was a good man who owned a business. Corinne Tillman, April's mother just could not see it and had begged April to not continue "this charade" of being with him. Her relationship with her mother was rocky and yet things were not as bad with her father. Leonard Tillman, one of the greatest trial lawyers in South Carolina, had simply seen it as April being involved with someone who at least has money. His hopes were that April would resume her career as soon as she "got it out of her system with this boy". April had been surprisingly laid back about the situation and she did not know why. 

April's sister Becky had been voracious for information regarding Sam. When she first learned of the relationship she huffed, "Why does April get to have all the fun", which irritated their mother. Becky had always desired a man like Sam - not for marriage, mind you - but for sex. Her first question via text to April:

BECKY: How big is it??

April had not answered that question. She didn't want to egg her sister on. Becky had looked up Sam, commented further on what she hoped her sister was doing to him and/or having done to her, and added, "If you ever tire of him, send him my way."

She had been livid about her sister's comments but it was expected. April and Rebecca were polar opposites.

Sam was standing out back reflecting on all that had happened when Robby came out the back door, "Sammy, there's some dipshit in the lobby who demands to speak with you."

Sam halfway turned his head, "Is it that guy that you told me about?"

"Yep."

One of the Messner boys was angry Sam covered up a shitty tattoo he gave an ex-girlfriend. The girl had dumped Jeremy Messner after he kept physically abusing her. Her first order of business once she had a chance was to cover up a terrible backyard tattoo he had put on her with a galloping horse. Sam had worked her in considering the situation and had done a beautiful job. Now Jeremy was ticked because he had heard through the grapevine about his long-moved-on ex erasing his crappy work.

This was not the first time Sam had to deal with an angry man who's name, likeness or bad work he covered, but Jeremy Messner came from a long line of violent Georgia rednecks who hated a yankee setting up shop.

Sam dropped his cigarette, smashed it out with his boot and he told Shana to stay behind him and then go into his office, not the lobby. Evan would stay with Sam as they followed Robby back into the studio.

Sam, Evan, and Robby came down the long hall from the back to see Jeremy ranting and raging at Leslie and Kyle and a few customers. 

"Chill the fuck out, dude," Kyle was saying and then he turned and saw Sam walking in.

Sam wouldn't even look at Jeremy. He was a skidmark to Sam, not even worth much attention, but the ex-con in Sam Orion was itching to confront him.

"You need to take your hayseed ass out of my studio," Sam said with his deep voice as he removed his watch, and still not glancing over at the young man. Jeremy was a good five inches taller than Sam and easily weighed 250 pounds. Sam did not care as he had taken down much bigger game in a prison shower. Men who tried to mess with Sam in prison because they took him for just a ginger. 

"You need to pay me back for the work I did on Tiffany Mason," Jeremy kept on, his fists balling up.

Everyone was watching intently, Shana down the hall looking at the lobby, Kyle and Evan standing at their stations, Robby near Sam. Leslie kept working on her client. She's seen Sam take out the trash many times before.

Sam looked up like he was jogging his memory, "What? Oh yeah," and then he turned to Jeremy, "I'm giving you five seconds to be out that front door. If you decide to be an idiot, I'll make it hard on you," Sam said, his green eyes dead serious.

If one was watching close enough they could see a faint element of unsureness register on Messner's face. His brothers had told him to not mess with Sam Orion, but Jeremy wanted to teach him a lesson. 

"Fuck you," Jeremy finally said.

"Aw, man," Evan said for Jeremy, as his boss came up to the young intruder, grabbed him by his throat and pushed him backwards and down to the floor.

"Get the fuck out of my shop!" Sam roared down at him and Robby and Evan came up. They dragged Jeremy out the door kicking and flailing. When they got to Jeremy's truck, he tried to rear back up at them and Sam pushed him back against the grille and hood, his hand back on his throat, "You show your ass here again and it won't be this subtle," Sam growled.

Jeremy was choking and Sam released him. Jeremy fell to the ground and Sam and his crew turned to go back into the studio. Once inside they heard Jeremy yelling, get in his truck and finally roar out of the parking lot, kicking up gravel.

Sam's jugular was popping out of his neck and he was pissed that he had allowed himself to lose control but he hated men who hit women.


	26. Chapter 26

Sam took his shirt off over his head with his thumb and forefinger in one fell swoop. April was sitting on his bed in a silky small nightie that came to her thighs, reading a book. She looked up to enjoy the vision of Sam's body and he smiled, loving that she would always look at him. He had been at the studio late that night and April had left his dinner plate in the microwave.

"How was work today?" she asked. Sam was admiring her long legs and the pink toenail polish he had put on for her just the night before. She was staying with him, her condo on the market.

"Interesting. I had to take care of more shit than usual," he remarked, smiling to himself. He only had his jeans on and he unbuttoned and unzipped them, the happy trail that was barely detectable against his tattoos was on display. April loved that part on him. The hair would span out underneath his navel and travel to his groin. He manscaped just enough to not look obvious and still look masculine.

"Oh yeah? Kyle not pulling his weight?" 

Sam laughed. He had told her so much about his employees and knew they all needed to meet.

"Naw, just some kid that was angry that I covered up his ex-girlfriend's bad work."

April nodded, "Did you fight him?" she joked and looked down at her book.

"Yes."

April looked back up, "Sammy."

"Baby."

"You really did? You fought him?"

Sam crawled into bed and they kissed, "I told him to leave. When he opted to stay I made him...not stay."

April sighed, "Oh God."

"It was nothing. I escorted him out of the studio with Ev and Robby's help."

"What did the customers say?"

Sam sat for a moment and then said, "Alright, Sam!"

***

Sam was on top of April, careful to not crush her. He was deep inside her, enjoying the feel of her warmth surrounding his very eager cock.

"Hmmmm," April said, eyes barely opened. Sam was slowly rolling his hips and her sex felt nice and full of him.

"What, baby?" Sam breathed.

"Just...you. You're so....mmmm..."

"Does it feel good?"

"Obviously, Sammy."

Sam chuckled and kissed her deeply. She hungrily kissed him back and Sam loved it, responding even more. 

"Oh... _Sammy_..."

"That's right...gonna make you cum, sweetheart. Gonna do it..."

"Please do...please make me cum so hard..."

Sam was rolling his hips and applying more pressure to her sex. He always knew how to push down in a way that applied just the right amount to her clitoris. 

April was climaxing in no time, her heart swelling with sex-drunk love for the man who was looking down at her.

Sam started joining her and all the day's frustrations wore off right then and there. He was home in more ways than one.


End file.
